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India at Sixth Rank in the World with its 20th Nuclear Power Reactor Commencing Operation
..The unit-4 of Kaiga Generating Station (KGS), the 20th nuclear power reactor of the country, achieved its first criticality today at 08:07 hrs. Criticality, in nuclear terms, signifies the start of self-sustaining nuclear fission chain reaction in the reactor core, which leads to the production of power. The unit will be synchronized to the southern grid after carrying out certain mandatory tests early next month. With Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limiteds Kaiga-4 unit becoming operational, India is now elevated to the sixth rank in an elite club of nations, after USA, France, Japan, Russian Federation and Republic of Korea, to have twenty or more nuclear power reactors currently in operation. The electricity generated from this unit will be supplied to the beneficiary states Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Pudducherry. Kaiga-4 is the NPCILs third nuclear power reactor after RAPS unit-5 & unit-6, to have started operation during the current year, raising the nuclear installed capacity in the country from the current 4560 MW to 4780 MW.
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KGS-4, like its predecessors KGS-1, 2 and 3 that are in operation is an indigenous Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) of 220 MW and is fuelled with the uranium sourced from domestic mines. Currently, two Light Water Reactors (LWRs), each of 1000 MW at a KudanKulam as well as a Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) of 500 MW at Kalpakkam are at advanced stages of completion. In addition, four indigenously designed 700-MW PHWRs, two each at Kakrapar in Gujarat and Rawatbhata in Rajasthan, have also been launched for commencing construction during the current year. The installed nuclear power capacity on progressive completion of the reactors under construction will reach 7280 MW and 10080 MW by the year 2012 and 2017, respectively. NPCILs vision is to reach 20000 MW or more by the year 2020 and play a major role in reaching countrys installed nuclear power capacity of 63000 MW by 2032 by setting up indigenously designed 700 MW PHWRs and 1000 MW or larger size Light Water Reactors (LWRs). NPCIL has started pre-project activities at two inland sites for setting up indigenous 700-MW PHWRs in Haryana, MP and three coastal sites to set up 1000-MW or larger-size LWRs, based on international technical cooperation, in Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal. NPCIL is unique in having comprehensive capabilities in the various facets of nuclear technology, namely, site selection, design, construction, commissioning, operation and maintenance, renovation and modernization, and life extension of nuclear power plants.