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KAPP-3 Attains Criticality
23rd July 2020
- Kakrapar Atomic Power Plant, Unit-3 (KAPP-3), India’s first 700 MWe (megawatt electric) Pressurized Heavy WaterReactor (PHWR) with innovative features has attained criticality at around 0936 Hrs on 22 July 2020
- A nuclear reactor attains criticality when every nuclear fission event releases a sufficient number of neutrons to sustainan ongoing series of reactions or a self-sustaining chain reaction. Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) has carried out exhaustive safety review of various safety aspects to ensure satisfactory compliances to regulatory requirements and granted permission for First Approach to Criticality of KAPP-3 on 17 July, 2020
- Due to prevailing COVID-19 situation, the safety review was carried out by working from home, partial working from office and through discussions and meetings over video conferencing. The criticality has been witnessed by the AERB Observer Team posted at Kakrapar Site and by AERB experts at Headquarters through live streaming from KAPP-3 Control Room
- KAPP-3 is located at Kakrapar Site, Gujarat, where already two 220 MWe PHWRs (KAPS-1 & KAPS-2) are in operationand another 700 MWe PHWR (KAPP-4) is under advanced stage of construction