After several months of shutdown for refuelling and annual maintenance, the Unit 1 of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project will ramp up power generation to 1,000 MW in phases as it has attained criticality, a top official said.
"The first unit attained criticality yesterday at4.20 PM, conforming to the design requirements and after meeting all statutory and regulatory norms," KKNPP Station Director H N Sahu said.
A senior KKNPP official, who did not wish to be named, said scientists are currently engaged in the process of connecting the unit with the grid.
"I think that the process will take about four-five days. Probably by Sunday or Monday, that may happen (it may be connected to grid)," he told PTI.
He said a team from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, Nuclear Power Corporation of India and Russian scientists were supervising the whole process.
"It will be taken up in phases as we need to follow some procedures and regulatory clearances," he said.
Scientists at KKNPP had suspended production in June 2015 for maintenance activities.
Since there was a delay in resuming power generation, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October 2015, requesting him to direct NPCIL to take "necessary action" to resume power generation as the corporation had not clearly indicated when the KKNPP would recommence production.
She had then pointed out that it was crucial for Unit 1 to resume power generation immediately as the wind season for Tamil Nadu had drawn to a close.
Tamil Nadu receives 563 MW of the 1,000MW power generated from the KKNPP Unit I.
