Two KAPP units to come under IAEA safeguards from December

Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) today said that the first two units of indigenous pressurised heavy water reactors of Kakrapar Atomic Power Project (KAPP) would be put under international safeguards by the first week of December.

"The two operating units of 220 MW each will be placed under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards by the first week of December this year," Chairman and Managing Director of NPCIL, S K Jain told reporters here, after laying the foundation stone of country's first indigenous 700 MW -- KAPP 3 unit.

As per the Indo-US deal, India was supposed to place KAPP units one and two under the international safeguards in 2012 but due to the shortage of fuel to run the plant to full capacity, NPCIL has rescheduled the process.

"This will enable us to run these two plants to full capacity using imported uranium either from Russia or Kazakhstan," he said.

"We will put the units under international safeguard this year as we want to use imported fuel (Uranium) for increasing the plant load capacity which is currently under utilised. This will ensure that 220 MW of power is generated from both the plants," Jain explained.

Currently, KAPP 1 and 2 are generating only 140 MW of power each as against its capacity of 220 MW.