India’s nuclear regulator has given its nod to repeat the full systems test at the first unit of the Kudankulam atomic power project in Tamil Nadu ahead of commissioning of the plant expected next month.

“We have given permission to repeat the hydro-tests at Kundankulam Unit 1 yesterday,” Satinder Singh Bajaj, Chairman, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), told PTI.

He said the permission, granted after the review of reports of earlier tests, would give engineers of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) and their Russian collaborators an opportunity to conduct some final checks and tests ahead of the approach to first criticality.

These include some examinations related to preparedness in case of an off-site power failure, officials said.

The full systems test, also known as the hydro tests, would be carried out over the next fortnight.

During the hydro tests, the systems will be heated up and during that process a number of tests will be carried out by NPCIL engineers.

“We will review the report and if everything is within the laid parameters, a go-ahead will be given for the next step,” Bajaj said.

Earlier, Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Ratan Kumar Sinha had said during the initial tests, there was some need felt for some maintenance operations that were well identified.

“Essentially there are some system parameters such as flow, pressure, temperature that need to be maintained within particular values,” he said.

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