Rajasthan Atomic Power Station

The Rajasthan Atomic Power Station (RAPS; also Rajasthan Atomic Power Project - RAPP) is located at Rawatbhata in the state of Rajasthan, India.

Rajasthan Atomic Power Station
CountryIndia
Coordinates24°52′20″N 75°36′50″E
StatusOperational
Construction began1963
Commission date16 December 1973
Operator(s)Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL)
Nuclear power station
Reactor typePHWR
Power generation
Units operational1 x 200 MW
4 x 220 MW
Units under const.2 x 700 MW
Units decommissioned1 x 100 MW
Nameplate capacity1,080 MW
Capacity factor30.4%
Annual net output3,140 GW·h
External links
WebsiteNuclear power Corporation of India Ltd

History

The construction of the Douglas Point Nuclear Generating Station Canada began in 1961 with a CANDU (Canada Deuterium Uranium) pressurised heavy water reactor (PHWR) capable of producing 220 MW of electricity. Two years after the construction of the Rajasthan Power Project (RAPP) commenced, with two similar reactors built in the state of Rajasthan. Ten years later, in 1973 RAPS-1 was put into service. In 1974 after India conducted Smiling Buddha, its first nuclear weapons test Canada stopped their support of the project, delaying the commissioning of RAPS-2 until 1981.[1]

In the context of the Indian atomic program, two more PHWR with an output of 220 MW each were built. They cost around 570 million dollars. RAPS-3 became critical on 24 December 1999, RAPS-4 became critical on 3 November 2000. Commercial operations began on 1 June 2000 for unit 3, and on 23 December 2000 for unit 4.

Two more reactors (RAPS-5 and RAPS-6) with 220 MWe have also been built, with unit 5 beginning commercial operation on 4 February 2010, and unit 6 on 31 March 2010.[2]

Two of the new Indian-designed 700 MWe series of the reactor (RAPP-7 and RAPP-8) are under construction at Rajasthan.

In November 2012, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) intensively audited over several weeks two reactors at the Rajasthan Atomic Power Station for safety. It has concluded that the reactors are among the best in the world, the indigenously made 220 MW atomic plants can withstand a Fukushima type of accident, even suggesting that the "safety culture is strong in India" and that India emerged a winner with a high global safety rank.[3]

First concrete for unit 7 was poured on 18 July 2011,[4] with commercial operation expected by 2016. The two reactors will cost an estimated Rs 123.2 billion (US$2.6 billion).[5]

Incidents

By 2003 RAPS-1 had experienced numerous problems due to leaks, cracks in the end-shield and turbine blade failures, had undergone repairs and appeared to be generating 100 MW electricity, with RAPS-2 reportedly generating 200 MW.[1]

On 29 August 2006, a 90% iron meteorite weighing 6.8 kilograms fell in Kanvarpura village, near the power station. The Deputy Director-General (western region) of the Geological Survey of India, R.S. Goyal, said that devastation on an "unimaginable scale" would have ensued had the object struck the station.[6]

In June 2012, 38 workers were exposed to tritium when a welding operation went wrong inside the protected environment of the reactor.[7]

Units
UnitTypeGross MWConstruction startOperation startShut DownNotes
Phase I
 RAPS-1  PHWR100 MW 1 August 196516 December 1973October 2004 [8]
RAPS-2 PHWR200 MW 1 April 19681 April 1981 [9]
Phase II
RAPS-3 PHWR220 MW 1 February 19901 June 2000 [10]
RAPS-4 PHWR220 MW 1 October 199023 December 2000 [11]
Phase III
RAPS-5 PHWR220 MW 18 September 2002 4 February 2010[2] [12]
RAPS-6 PHWR220 MW 20 January 200331 March 2010 [2] [13]
Phase IV
RAPS-7 IPHWR-700700 MW 18 July 2011 March 2022 (expected)[14] [16]
RAPS-8 IPHWR-700700 MW December 20112023 (expected)[14] [17]

See also

References
  1. "Rajasthan Atomic Power Station (RAPS)". Nuclear Threat Initiative. 1 September 2003. Retrieved 18 February 2017.
  2. "Rajasthan Atomic Power Station (RAPS)". Plants Under Operation. Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL). Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
  3. UN's nuclear watchdog: Rajasthan reactors are among world's safest. NDTV.com (15 November 2012). Retrieved on 2013-12-06.
  4. "India begins construction of 25th nuclear plant". The Hindu. 18 July 2011. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
  5. "Construction starts on new Rajasthan units". World Nuclear News. World Nuclear Association (WNA). 18 July 2011. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
  6. Meteorite fall in Rajasthan village The Hindu, 6 September 2006.
  7. Radiation scare in Rajasthan, workers exposed. NDTV.com (30 June 2012). Retrieved on 2013-12-06.
  8. "Rajasthan Atomic Power Station". NPCIL. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  9. "RAPS-2". PRIS. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  10. "RAPS-3". PRIS. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  11. "RAPS-4". PRIS. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  12. "RAPS-5". PRIS. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  13. "RAPS-6". PRIS. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  14. https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Kakrapar-3-achieves-first-criticality
  15. "Indian government takes steps to get nuclear back on track - World Nuclear News". www.world-nuclear-news.org. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  16. "RAPS-7". PRIS. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  17. "RAPS-8". PRIS. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
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