Kudankulam n-plant unit 2 begins warranty operation

New Delhi, March 31 : The second 1,000 MW atomic power reactor at the Kundankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) in Tamil Nadu has begun its one-year period of warranty operation, which is the first step towards the commercial operation of the unit, the Russian builders announced on Friday.

"As of today (Friday), the Unit 2 of the KNPP in India is under the warranty of its general designer and the suppliers of equipment from Russia," state-run nuclear energy corporation Rosatom's subsidiary ASE Group said in a statement.

"The beginning of warranty operation indicates the successful completion of all necessary work and tests on the unit. This period of responsibility will last until March 30, 2018," it said.

"This is the first step towards the commercial operation of the unit," it added.

KNPP Unit No 2 reached its maximum capacity, or 100 per cent power level, in January this year.

The unit went critical, or started nuclear fission, on July 10, 2016, and was connected to the southern grid on August 29. After operating it for some time, the unit was disconnected for testing the parameters. Thereafter, power generation was gradually increased at several stages.

Construction work for units 3 and 4 has started in October last year.