Leakage at Kakrapar Atomic Power Station under control

Leakage in PHT system had led to reactor being shut down, even as all safety systems were working as intended

A leakage in primary heat transport (PHT) system in unit-1 reactor of the Kakrapar Atomic Power Station (KAPS) in Vyara district of south Gujarat is under control, site officials of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited, a Government of India enterprise, said.

Leakage in the PHT system had led to the reactor being shut down at even as all safety systems were reportedly working as intended. "The leakage was inside the reactor and the radiation levels at the site are normal. The coolant leakage has been brought under control. All workers are safe. The district administration has also been informed about the same," said site officials, adding that the reactor would take about 24 hours to cool down.

Workers were asked to remain within the premises as per standard operating procedure before being allowed to go home, site officials added.

Earlier, in an statement, Kakrapar Gujarat site director Lalit Kumar Jain of NPCIL said that unit-1 of the Atomic Power Station which was operating at its rated power was shutdown at about 9 am on Friday morning.

"Consequent to a small leak in Primary Heat Transport (PHT) system, the reactor was shut down as intended as per design provisions. All safety systems are working as intended. The radioactivity/radiation levels in the plant premises and outside are normal. KAPS-1&2 consists of two units of pressurised heavy water reactor of 220 MWe each," Jain of NPCIL stated.

According to Vyara district collectorate, the district administration as well as emergency services were alerted in the morning.

KAPS-1&2 comprises two units of pressurised heavy water reactor of 220 Mw each which were commissioned in 1993 and 1995, respectively.