History and Facts behind Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu
Koodankulam Nucler Power Plant is a new nuclear power plant constructed in the state of Tamil Nadu at Koodankulam in Tirunelveli district. Everyone would be aware of it as this a recent hot issue being taken into discussion by various medias and peoples like public and government of Tamil Nadu. The government has decided to construct a nuclear power plant as a huge project to generate power in southern part of Tamil Nadu and the construction is in full swing. Read more to get to know the details.
Recap of Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu
1988 – MOU signed between India and Soviet for construction of Nuclear Power Plant in India
1990 – First phase of protest was held for opposing the diversion of water from pechiparai dam
1998 – Till 1998 the project of agreement was put on hold due to break up in Soviet
2000 – Construction of Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant Started
Before 2004 – Road has used as the mode of Transport for Reactors to be used in power plant
2004 – Small Port was been constructed for transportation and become operational in Koodankulam
2007 – MOU was signed between India and Russian to promote Nuclear Energy
2008 – The KNPP team decided to go for additional four reactors at the atomic station
2009 – The first schedule project will begin in December 2009
2010 – Hydraulic Test was carried out at power units and Second schedule will be on March.
2011 – First schedule of operation begins in June
In the middle of March 2011 India has started the main stage of equipment tests at first nuclear power unit of Koodankulam under construction
The commissioned of Nuclear project will be on Aril 2011
Several protest from public towards KNPP
2012 - Second schedule plan of operation will be on MarchHistory about Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu
In 1988 during Rajiv Gandhi period a MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) for construction of nuclear power plant in India was signed between two countries India and Soviet (Russia). But due to several factors from political and economic crisis the project has been put on hold since there was a breakup in soviet and moreover with the objection from US stating that the agreement signed didn't meet up with the current Terms and Conditions from the group of nuclear suppliers.
Previously before 2004 the water reactor equipment was brought through roads as their mode of transport from Tuticorin port and due to various difficulties of damages incurred during its transportation it decided to select a Naval point base and come up with an idea to develop a small port near the tip of the country and they felt the best place would be Koodankulam in southern part of Tamil Nadu and then a small port become operational on January 14, 2004 and the main purpose of its construction is to receive baggage's carrying oversized light water reactor from ships anchored at a few distance of half a km from its port.
Land was purchased for construction of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant but for many years there was only a huge wall around the site. In 2000 work started and a decade later the plant was ready. In 2005 there was a bomb explosion at koodankulam police station but nothing happened to the plant. When the work started it took two decade to build the reactor and it's infra since it was one of the major projects constructed in India. As this was a new technology and due to crisis in supply schedule there was more delay in shipping required goods with safety clearance.
Several talks and discussion were going between India and Russia to get additional two more reactors with advance stage. Later in 2007 a MOU was signed between India and Russia and when Russian president Uladimir Putin visited India he had discussion with Manmohan Singh and both countries have planned to promote the use of nuclear energy to certain heights.
The plant has the capacity to accommodate 8 Units and Russian reactors will use enriched uranium as fuel and light water as coolant and moderator. In 2008 the team has decided to go up with additional four reactors at their site without declaring the capacity of each of reactor. They expected that the capacity of each reactor would be 1000 Mega watt or 1 Giga watt and this new reactor would increase the total capacity of power plant to 9.2 Giga watt or 9200 Mega watt. Later in 2009 Russia as signed an agreement with India said it doesn't contain any restriction on transfer of technology or re processing of spent fuel. According to the agreement four 3rd generation VVER 1200 reactor of 1700 Mega watt is to be supplied and already 2 VVER 1000 watt reactors have been installed and construction of additional 4 reactors is to be signed this year. Moreover Russia decided to set up more nuclear reactors in India.
The team believed that with these type of construction of reactors it would become a largest nuclear power generation complex in India and it is also noted that both unit installed are water cooled and water moderator power reactor. The first schedule of the project will begin on December 2009 and send schedule planned on March 2010 with their operation of service in June 2011 as per first schedule plan and March 2012 for second schedule plan. In December 2010 key hydraulic test were carried out at power unit. All separate systems have passed acceptance procedure and few systems have been accepted as assembled after Reactor cold run process.
The team said they have a process called Hot Conditioningof the plant. In this process we generate steam and test various equipment and system for leakages. We put a lot of steam into the system in a non active condition and test at a higher pressure than what is required for the plant and this would be a normal situation and when the pressure increases the values automatically gets open to generate the steam out and this would create a loud noise to the people in and around. In spite of the above fact VVER 1000 watt was installed first time in India and during that time there was no problem or Protest against the construction of the project.
In the middle of March 2011 India has started the main stage of equipment tests at first nuclear power unit of Koodankulam under construction. KNPP is the first power plant which is being built Russian equipment by Nuclear Corporation of India (NPCIL). Its phase one includes 2 power units with VVER 1000 reactor. As said by NPCIL chairman and MD Shreyans Kumar Jain said the Reactor Hot Runs are the last stage before loading fuel in the reactor and this would take a couple of months. Moreover it is also noted that agreement signed in 2008 has been taken further for analysis of action and due to several talks and protest by the public it has been postponed and put on hold and several meeting and discussion are being carried out between public and government to solve the issue.
