AERB's nod for initial fuel loading has riders

The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) has laid down several conditions, while granting approval for the initial fuel loading by Nuclear Power Corporation (NPC) into the first unit of the Kudankulam nuclear plant.

The conditions relate to inserting 2,000 tonnes of borated water after draining out the normal water from the reactor, and the monitoring of neutron- and radiation-protection systems. NPC would also have to put in place adequate industrial safety measures, including removal of temporary structures and set up scaffoldings before actual fuel loading.

Since the Fukushima nuclear disaster in March 2011, Kudankulam unit I is India’s first project that has received AERB’s consent for initial fuel loading.

An AERB official said, “There are two stages, and every stage would be reviewed after the initial fuel loading. An advisory committee for project safety would review the initial fuel loading test results.”

AERB has not yet approved the commissioning of commercial production in stages. This would be approved after a team comprising members of the AERB and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) give their go-aheads, after reviewing fuel-loading related activities. NPC estimates commercial production from the Kudankulam’s 1,000-Mw unit I would start by the end of September.

Speaking to Business Standard, NPC chairman and managing director K C Purohit, said, “We will go for sequential loading after meeting all the regulatory and technical parameters.” It is expected Purohit would visit the Kudankulam plant site soon to take stock of affairs.

Another NPC official said about 90 tonnes of enriched uranium would be loaded into 163 assemblies of VVER 1000 reactors to generate 1,000 Mw in a year. Though not all assemblies would be reloaded in a year, some would—by 30 tones of enriched uranium. The fuel loading would be carried out under the supervision of AERB and IAEA experts.

The official said AERB’s conditions were standard, but relevant, especially in the wake of the Fukushima disaster.

He added the borated water would be maintained at a required level to avoid the possibility of fission. Fuel would be shifted from the storage room to the fuel pool bay by fuel-handling machines, in sequence. “Neutron monitoring will be done at every stage. Besides, industrial safety measures to deal with extreme fire hazards would be put in place. Though there is no radiation, NPC would have to implement radiation-protection measures, including clothing, changing rooms, zoning system, etc. The area around the reactor would be made dust-free,” the official said.

Chairman of the Tokyo chapter of the World Association of Nuclear Operators and former NPC chief S K Jain said, “The fuel loading and the subsequent commissioning of Kudankulam unit I would demonstrate NPC’s maturity, along with that of its team and the Department of Atomic Energy. The Kudankulam reactor has adequate safety applications to tackle a Fukushima-type scenario. NPC has upgraded various safety applications to higher levels.”