Palghar: Tarapur nuclear reactors' repair delayed due to component delivery issue

Tarapur Atomic Power Station/ Wikimedia commons

The first two nuclear reactors at Tarapur Atomic Power Station (TAPS), which have been undergoing renovations since 2020, will be shut down for another five months due to a delay in obtaining a critical component, officials revealed on Friday.

The reactors, which were supposed to be reactivated on May 9, will now stay offline until October due to the non-arrival of special metal pipes from Italy. Because of the small size of these pipes, manufacturers are having difficulty fulfilling orders, resulting in delays, according to the PTI report.

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The report further stated that TAPS's two Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs), which were installed in 1969 and are located around 100 kilometres from Mumbai on the western coast, play an important role in power production by boiling water to generate steam for turbine operation.

The present repair, which costs Rs 351 crore, aims to address urgent risks and extend the reactors' operational life by ten years. The renovations include repairing the primary recirculation system to address microscopic cracks discovered in the exterior circulation system near both reactors, the news agency report further stated.

Sanjay Mulkalwar, station director of TAPS, promised the region's electrical grid that it would remain operational for at least the next decade, despite the difficulties inherent in the restoration process, the PTI report added.

The delayed supply of specialised stainless steel pipes from Italy has produced problems, affecting the project's schedule. However, authorities are optimistic that the repairs will be completed by mid-September, followed by rigorous testing before power generation resumes in November, the report further stated.

What is TAPS?

Tarapur Atomic Power Station (TAPS), in Maharashtra, is India's first commercial nuclear power facility. It was founded in 1969 and has two boiling water reactors (BWRs), each with a capacity of 160 MW. TAPS is an important part of India's nuclear energy programme, helping to generate electricity. TAPS, which is managed by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), follows strict safety requirements and is inspected on a regular basis to guarantee its operational integrity. TAPS, with its pioneering role in nuclear energy, continues to be a cornerstone of India's attempts to generate sustainable and reliable power.