Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) has commenced Initial Fuel Loading (IFL) at Unit 8 of RAPP in Rawatbhata, Rajasthan, a key step towards commissioning 700-MWe indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR).
- Geotechnical investigations for Units 9 and 10 at the RAPP site in Rawatbhata also commenced.
About Unit-8 of RAPP
- IFL Commencement: Initial Fuel Loading (IFL) began after Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) permission and completion of prescribed prerequisites.
- Next Steps:
- First Approach to Criticality (FAC) with a start of controlled fission chain reaction.
- Criticality is the point at which a sustained and controlled nuclear fission chain reaction begins. At this stage, neutrons produced by fission equal those lost through absorption and leakage.
- Followed by commencement of power generation.
- Series Position: Unit 8 is the 4th reactor in India's series of 16 indigenous 700 MWe PHWRs.
- Preceding Units:
- Units 3 & 4, Kakrapar Atomic Power Station (KAPS), Gujarat (commercial operation in 2023-24).
- Unit 7, RAPP (commercial operation from April 2025).
- Other Reactors Under Construction (NPCIL): 8 total
- 2 at Gorakhpur, Haryana.
- 2 at Kaiga, Karnataka.
- 4 at Kudankulam, Tamil Nadu.
Steps Taken to Boost Nuclear Energy Production in India
- Nuclear Energy Mission: Announced in Union Budget 2025–26, focused on R&D of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), aiming for at least 5 indigenously designed and operational SMRs by 2033.
- Nuclear Energy Target: 100 GW nuclear power capacities by 2047.
- SHANTI Act, 2025: Consolidates and modernises India's nuclear legal framework.
