KKNPP to switch to 450 days fuel cycle from 300

CHENNAI: The 1000 MW Unit-I of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant which has been shut down in the early hours of Sunday for refuelling is likely to switch to 450 full power days with the supply of advanced fuel from the existing 300 days.

Unlike Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors at Kaiga and Madras Atomic Power Stations where on-power refuelling is a design feature, KKNPP reactors can be operated for a defined full power days (FPD) cycle depending on the fuel composition and fuel matrix. At present, KKNPP reactors could be operated continuously for 300 days after which they should be shut down for refuelling.

“The new fuel cycle will start with this refuelling of the Unit-I which will last for 450 full power days and subsequently it will be increased up to 480 days. In the case of Unit-II, the present cycle of 300 FPD will continue for another two cycles and subsequently, that also will switch to 450 FPD cycle,” sources in the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) added.

The new fuel supplied by the Russian nuclear major ROSATOM has increased uranium capacity and the special feature of the new fuel is the new generation type. “The TVEL Fuel Company of Rosatom has supplied the first batches of TVS-2M nuclear fuel to India for the two functioning units of KNPP, powered by VVER-1000 reactors. After the nearest refuelling, the power unit 1 will start operations in an 18-month fuel cycle,” a Rosatom statement had said.

KKNPP Unit-I is expected to resume generation by the end of September or October’s first week after refuelling. The two units of KKNPP supply a total of 1,152 MW to the state grid.

A senior official of Tangedco said that the KKNPP’s increased fuel cycle would ensure a longer generation period. “We have to see when they would shut down the Unit-I for the next refuelling. We don’t have any issue over the Unit-I shutdown between July-September due to the abundant availability of wind power generation. But the Unit-II refuelling shut down happened during the peak power demand season of April-June and we were forced to purchase power to meet the demand,” the official said.