PM to dedicate Tarapur reactors to nation
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will dedicate two nuclear reactors to the nation at Tarapur on Friday.
By TNN |
MUMBAI: Away from the din of political wrangling over the Indo-US nuclear deal in the Capital, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will dedicate two nuclear reactors to the nation at Tarapur on Friday. Interestingly, both these reactors will not come under international safeguards even when the treaty is operationalised.
During his visit to Tarapur, where atomic research began over 40 years ago, the Prime Minister is also expected to present his vision vis-a-vis nuclear energy. He will also address graduates of the Bhabha Atomic Energy Centre (Barc) located on the outskirts of Navi Mumbai on the same day. The two reactors to be dedicated to the nation, TAPS 3 and 4, are state-of-the-art pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs) with a capacity of 540 mw each.
Both have already been connected to the power grid. As these are not among the 14 nuclear reactors India has offered to place under permanent IAEA safeguards, they can be, at any time, put to use for strategic purposes as well.
“It is a major event for us as the prime minister himself will witness the operation of these two indigenous plants,” an official from the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) said. Mr Singh’s special advisor and Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) chairman Anil Kakodkar and NPCIL chairman and MD SK Jain will be present at the function.
The Tarapur atomic centre, the construction of which began way back in 1964, has four nuclear power reactors - TAPS 1 and 2 and TAPS 3 and 4. The first two are boiling water reactors (BWRs), which started power generation in 1969. TAPS 4, which was commissioned in 2005, and TAPS 3, which followed a year later, are PHWRs. These two reactors are the largest single atomic power producing unit in the country.
Expected to play a key role in DAE’s ambitious plan to achieve an installed nuclear power capacity of 20,000 mw by 2020, TAPS 3 and 4 are also scheduled for a capacity addition, from 540 mw to 700 mw. Currently, the nuclear power sector has an installed capacity of just about 4,120 mw, 3.1% of India’s total capacity.
During his visit to Tarapur, where atomic research began over 40 years ago, the Prime Minister is also expected to present his vision vis-a-vis nuclear energy. He will also address graduates of the Bhabha Atomic Energy Centre (Barc) located on the outskirts of Navi Mumbai on the same day. The two reactors to be dedicated to the nation, TAPS 3 and 4, are state-of-the-art pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs) with a capacity of 540 mw each.
Both have already been connected to the power grid. As these are not among the 14 nuclear reactors India has offered to place under permanent IAEA safeguards, they can be, at any time, put to use for strategic purposes as well.
“It is a major event for us as the prime minister himself will witness the operation of these two indigenous plants,” an official from the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) said. Mr Singh’s special advisor and Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) chairman Anil Kakodkar and NPCIL chairman and MD SK Jain will be present at the function.
The Tarapur atomic centre, the construction of which began way back in 1964, has four nuclear power reactors - TAPS 1 and 2 and TAPS 3 and 4. The first two are boiling water reactors (BWRs), which started power generation in 1969. TAPS 4, which was commissioned in 2005, and TAPS 3, which followed a year later, are PHWRs. These two reactors are the largest single atomic power producing unit in the country.
Expected to play a key role in DAE’s ambitious plan to achieve an installed nuclear power capacity of 20,000 mw by 2020, TAPS 3 and 4 are also scheduled for a capacity addition, from 540 mw to 700 mw. Currently, the nuclear power sector has an installed capacity of just about 4,120 mw, 3.1% of India’s total capacity.
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