Power generation at KNPP suspended due to 'steam-leak'

Barely a week after operations resumed following regular maintenance, power generation at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tirunelveli district has been suspended due to a "steam leak".

"Following a steam leak, the turbine generator was shut down by around 10.30 PM last night. At that time the power generation was about 730 Mw," an official of the KNPP, an Indo-Russian collaborative venture, told PTI.

The power generation at the plant had resumed on January 30 after seven months of shutdown for maintenance.

Asked when the operation would resume again, the official who declined to be named, said it was expected to restart within two days. "May be by (February) 7 we may restart it again," he said.

The plant officials had yesterday said they expected the generation to touch its capacity of 1,000 Mw by tomorrow, but the snag forced its suspension.

Tamil Nadu has been allocated 563 Mw from the 1,000 Mw capacity of the first unit.