KNPP Unit-2 synchronised with southern grid

Chennai, Aug 29: The 1000 MW second unit of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) was test synchronised with the southern power grid today, marking generation of electricity from the unit and its supply to the grid, a top KNPP official said today.

"Unit two of KNPP was test synchronised with the southern power grid today at 1117 hours. Presently the unit is supplying 245 MW to the southern grid," KNPP Site Director R S Sundar said.

He said clearance was obtained from Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) for the first synchronisation of the unit with the southern grid.

Sundar said the unit would be shut down for mandatory inspection of turbine-generator after a few days of operation.

"The power level will be increased in phases to 50, then 75 and 90 per cent and later to 100 per cent full power after obtaining necessary regulatory clearances," he said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Unit 1 of KNPP has been operating continuously for 19 days since February 22 this year and has so far generated 11,269 Million Units of electricity from October 2013, he said.

KNPP-2 attained first criticality on July 10 this year and subsequently various reactor physics experiments were carried out at low power.

It was done under supervision of experts from Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, NPCIL and Russian specialists.

On August 10, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had jointly dedicated to the nation the 1000 MW Nuclear Power Plant-I.

KNPP has been set up using Russian VVER type reactors based on enriched uranium.

Completion of Unit 1 was delayed in view of strident protests by local people, who raised safety concerns, before it became operational.

Pressurised Water Reactor VVER-1000 had gone critical in July 2014 and the commercial operations started from December 31 the same year, with the unit coming to the aid of the then power starved Tamil Nadu.

PTI