The first 1,000 MW unit of Kudankulam atomic power project is already operational.
The second unit of Kudankulam atomic power project in Tamil Nadu is expected to go critical on Sunday, SK Sharma, Chairman and Managing Director of Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL), said on Saturday.
"The reactor control rods are being removed. The unit is expected to attain criticality in two days time. Yesterday (Friday) late evening the (48 hour) process for First Approach to Criticality (FAC) was started. We have filed all the necessary reports with the registry of the Supreme Court," said SK Sharma, Chairman and Managing Director.
Asked about the conduct of off-site emergency safety drill prior to the commissioning of the reactor he said: "The second unit is part of an operating station (site where a nuclear power plant is already functioning). In such cases off-site emergency drills are conducted once in two years."
The first 1,000 MW unit of Kudankulam atomic power project, which is located in Tirunelvelli district, is already functional.
According to Sharma, there are three types of emergency drills that are done at Indian nuclear power plants: plant, site and off-site.
"The emergency drills at the plant are done every quarter and the site emergency drill every year," he said.
"As per the legal requirements off-site emergency drills were conducted. The last off-site drill was conducted in January 2015," said HN Sahu, Station Director of first and second units.
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