India's Largest Nuclear Reactor Commences Commercial Operations

[Chanakya's_Chant]

Kudankulam power to cost 4.29/unit

CHENNAI: Kudankulam nuclear power plant went commercial on Wednesday with Nuclear Power Corporation Ltd (NPCIL) announcing a price of 4.29 per unit. In effect, power from the plant would be cheaper than power purchased from private thermal plants as well as other plants using oil and gas as fuel. Power from other sources cost between 3.15 per unit (wind energy) to 12 per unit (power generated using gas, diesel and naphtha).

Declaring Kudankulam power commercial also means Tamil Nadu would get the revised quota of 562.5MW and a total of 1,128.5MW from Kudankulam, Kalpakkam and Kaiga nuclear reactors. Karnataka would get 221MW, Kerala 133MW, Andhra Pradesh 50MW and Puducherry 33.50MW from the unit 1. The declaration by NPCIL is the last milestone for the unit 1 of the Kudankulam project.

The 1,000MW Russian reactor has cost more than 8,000 crore and generated 335 crore units since October 2013 when it was connected to the national grid.​

​

"The unit 1 has been declared commercial from midnight of December 31. The unit has so far generated 335 crore units and has been operating at 1,000MW (full capacity) since December 7," said site director R S Sundar. "The total cost of setting up two units of the nuclear power plant at Kudankulam has escalated from 13,000 crore to 16,000 crore. But, the cost per unit of power from unit 1 will be less than 5. Had there been no delay in commissioning of the unit, the cost per unit would have been just 2.75," said a NPCIL official.

But, this is not the same for nuclear plants on the anvil in Maharashtra and other places where per unit cost is likely to be around 6.

In the case of Kudankulam, Russia has assured uninterrupted fuel supply to the two units during their lifetime, which is around 35 years. Though Tamil Nadu is getting power from three nuclear sources, it is only from Kudankulam that it is assured of a continuous supply as fuel would not be a problem.

"The Kudankulam reactors are the only ones in the state to be placed under the safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and there is no problem for importing fuel for these two units. But, units at Kalpakkam near Chennai and Kaiga in Karnataka are not under safeguards and are dependant on fuel mined in India," said an NPCIL official.​

Source:- Kudankulam power to cost 4.29/unit - The Times of India​

 

[Tshering22]

After so much drama.

I hope the rest of the reactors come in a timely fashion.

 

[anant_s]

Congratulations!!

Had there been no delay in commissioning of the unit, the cost per unit would have been just 2.75

Sad but the fact is that people protesting against the plant were not only holding the plant on ransom but have also made a loss to consumers.

I hope the rest of the reactors come in a timely fashion.

Yes Sir. KKNPP 2 is also in line for criticality and commercial operation in next 6 months.
Also agreement for Units 3&4 too has been signed at a cost of about INR 40,000 crore.

Please see items 17 & 18 of this document.

 

[Echo_419]

After so much drama.

I hope the rest of the reactors come in a timely fashion.

Indeed nuclear energy is the future

Congratulations!!

Sad but the fact is that people protesting against the plant were not only holding the plant on ransom but have also made a loss to consumers.

Yes Sir. KKNPP 2 is also in line for criticality and commercial operation in next 6 months.
Also agreement for Units 3&4 too has been signed at a cost of about INR 40,000 crore.

Please see items 17 & 18 of this document.

This will surely help ease the power crisis in South

 

[Dr Gupta]

Problem is now the price of new nuclear plants with the liability clause is sky high! so what will be the unit price for the new ones to be built?

 

[Tshering22]

Problem is now the price of new nuclear plants with the liability clause is sky high! so what will be the unit price for the new ones to be built?

US$ 3 billion per plant including everything.

That's still better than having poor cheap plants and then to face horrors of Chernobyl.

In the mean time,we need to get those indigenous thorium LWR and FBRs ready really fast.

Personally, I fail to understand why we cannot have a nuclear powerplant in any of the northeastern states. Having 2 small reactors in Assam and improving power distribution in the region will not only make the region power surplus and be able to export power to Myanmar and BD but also encourage more IT/telecom industries to set up base in our region.

I speak on behalf of other states as my state is already well endowed. Though distribution modes need to improve in quality and tech.

 

[Hindustani78]

TASS: Economy - Russia transfers Kudankulam N-plant to India for warranty-period operation

January 02, 4:54 UTC+3

The project of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant, which is located in India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu, began in 1998 when the two countries signed a general agreement

NEW DELHI, January 2. /TASS/. First power generating unit of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant, a project of Indian-Russian cooperation in the field of nuclear power industry, has been commissioned for warranty-period operation, a source at the Nuclear Power Corporation of India told TASS on Monday.

“An act on a provisional transfer of power unit No. 1 to operation was signed by the Russian and Indian sides,” the source said. “This means that a year-long period of operation on warranty has begun.”

“Upon the results of these twelve months, the power unit will be fully transferred to the Indian side,” the interlocutor said.

Simultaneously, the power unit will be put on stream for commercial production of electricity. “After that the electric power generated by this unit will start flowing into the Indian power grids at a fixed tariff that will be specified by the authorities,” the source said.

The project of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant, which is located in India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu, began in 1998 when the two countries signed a general agreement.

All in all, the power plant is due to have four power units, each of them with the output capacity for 1,000 MW.

The first unit was connected to the power grids on October 22, 2013. The output of electricity was raised to 90% of its capacity in May 2014 and it reached full-scale production in May 2014.

Preparations for reaching the minimum controllable power level of output are underway at unit No. 2, which means the start of the chain reaction there.

The first contract for supplies of Russian equipment for the construction of units No. 3 and No. 4 was signed during President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India on December 11, 2014.

It was also then that the sides signed one more document marking the plans for construction of no less than twelve nuclear power generating units in India. It envisions cooperation in the sphere of science and research, in the nuclear fuel cycle, as well as in the use of nuclear technologies in public health, agriculture, and other fields where nuclear technologies are used.

In addition, Russia and India expressed readiness to begin joint work in the peaceful application of atomic energy in third countries.

India hopes to begin construction of power units No. 3 an No. 4 by 2016 and launch them into full operation before March 2021.

After so much drama.

I hope the rest of the reactors come in a timely fashion.

Good times ahead as President Obama is coming to India.

 

[Dr Gupta]

US$ 3 billion per plant including everything.

That's still better than having poor cheap plants and then to face horrors of Chernobyl.

In the mean time,we need to get those indigenous thorium LWR and FBRs ready really fast.

Personally, I fail to understand why we cannot have a nuclear powerplant in any of the northeastern states. Having 2 small reactors in Assam and improving power distribution in the region will not only make the region power surplus and be able to export power to Myanmar and BD but also encourage more IT/telecom industries to set up base in our region.

I speak on behalf of other states as my state is already well endowed. Though distribution modes need to improve in quality and tech.

Best places for Nuclear stations seem to be near the sea due to water cooling I think. The NE states should be developed into a tourist mecca as well as a gateway to SE Asia to expand trade routes.

 

[Hindustani78]

Best places for Nuclear stations seem to be near the sea due to water cooling I think. The NE states should be developed into a tourist mecca as well as a gateway to SE Asia to expand trade routes.

Japan and South Korea are going to invest in NE and i think some industrial plants will set up in those regions.

 

[Dr Gupta]

Japan and South Korea are going to invest in NE and i think some industrial plants will set up in those regions.

NE was neglected for many decades but in recent times with the look east policy it seems things are on the upward swing, illegal migration is a issue though that needs to be resolved.

 

[acetophenol]

The amount of Public Relations campaign NPCIL and KKNPP did was massive.

 

[Hindustani78]

NE was neglected for many decades but in recent times with the look east policy it seems things are on the upward swing, illegal migration is a issue though that needs to be resolved.

NE was never neglected but there were other reasons behind it because of which international investment have not happened there. The problem there are the groups which are making things miserable for the population.

 

[Dr Gupta]

Problem is we need Japan to sign the nuclear deal because they have the key technology that we need access to!

 

[Hindustani78]

The amount of Public Relations campaign NPCIL and KKNPP did was massive.

Behind both were the issues linked with Liability bill for Nuclear damages act.

 

[Dr Gupta]

NE was never neglected but there were other reasons behind it because of which international investment have not happened there. The problem there are the groups which are making things miserable for the population.

There was lost years in the 70's 80's take AP for example we are only now building the infrastructure needed to meet the challenge of China when this should have been done decades ago.