Kudankulam Atomic Power Project is a nuclear power station under construction in Koodankulam in the Tirunelveli district of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Construction has been delayed due to anti-nuclear protests by the locals and People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy.
Technical Details
Two 1 GW reactors of the VVER-1000 model are being constructed by the Nuclear Power corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and Atomstroyexport. When completed they will become the largest nuclear power generation complex in India producing a cumulative 2 GW of electric power. Both units are water-cooled, water-moderated power reactors.The first was scheduled to start operation in December 2009 and the second one was scheduled for March 2010. Currently, the official projections put unit 1 into operation in June 2011, and unit 2 will go in March 2012.
Four more reactors are set to be added to this plant under a memorandum of intent signed in 2008. A firm agreement on setting up two more reactors, has been postponed pending the ongoing talks on liability issues. Under an inter-government agreement signed in December 2008 Russia is to supply to India four third generation VVER-1200 reactors of 1170 MW.
The reactors have some advanced safety features like passive heat removal system, double containment, Core Catcher, and hydrogen re-combiner instead of conventional systems
Current power production status in India:
• India’s current installed capacity (end of 2010): 1,70,229 MW, from all sources
• Power generation capacity is mainly based on thermal and hydro, with about 11% from renewable energy.
• In 2010, peak power shortage was 12 %.
• Electricity demand is expected to rise by 7.4% a year during the next quarter of a century. This will see generation capacity increase five-fold in India is to supply this growing demand.
Status of Indian Renewable Power Generation
Total Installed Capacity of Renewable Power Sources
As of Feb 2011, India has over 18.3 GW of installed renewable energy capacity. Wind represents about 13 GW, small hydro represents 2.8 GW, and the majority of the remainder is from biomass installations.
Total Electricity Installed Capacity: 171.9 GW (Feb 2011)
Energy source % Share in installed capacity
Thermal 64.75%
Nuclear 2.78%
Hydro (large hydro) 21.73%
Other renewable energy sources 10.73%
Posted in: India News
