The 1,000-MW Unit-1 of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project is running satisfactorily, after attaining criticality on the night of July 13-14, senior officials of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd, said.
Right now, the plant operators are conducting ‘low power physics tests’. The results of these tests tell the plant operators how the reactor behaves during operation. For instance, they find out how quickly the reactor can be shut down, if need be. They also see how the reactor core, which contains the radioactive fuel, reacts to changes in temperature and compare the results with those predicted by reactor designers.
The results of these tests will be submitted to the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and after which the board is expected to give its approval for ramping up operations to the full capacity of the plant. Meanwhile, work is going on at the Unit-2 too, where ‘dummy fuel loading’ is going on. Officials say that the Unit-2 will be commission-ready in 6-8 months.
More protests
Anti-Kudankulam protestors, under the umbrella of the People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE), are promising ‘no let-up’ in their protests.
Sore that the nuclear establishment and the Ministry of Environment and Forests, dumped their reports in sealed covers at the Supreme Court on a Friday – before the protestors could have an opportunity read them and react – the protestors have called it “undemocratic” and have welcomed people to the ‘Nuclear Republic of India’.
Indignant that the nuclear establishment pulled a fast one over them, they want to intensify their protests.
PMANE today held a ‘Community leaders’ meeting’ in which it decided that it would observe Monday – its 700th day of protest – as a ‘Black Day’.