Expert panel constituted to determine operational parameters for new nuclear power units: NPCIL

The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), which also runs the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP), has said the life time of upcoming new units will be longer and an expert committee has been constituted to set operational parameters that can be used as standards to determining tariff for them.

The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), which also runs the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP), has said the lifetime of upcoming new units will be longer and an expert committee has been constituted to set operational parameters that can be used as standards to determining tariff for them.

KKNPP Units III and IV (1,000 MW each) are expected to be commissioned by May 2025 and December 2025.

Tamil Nadu has sought 100% allocation from Units III and IV, to meet its increasing power demand, while Telengana has indicated that it may not require any allocation. Some other southern States have sought finalisation of tariff for deciding on their requirements.

Central Transmission Utility of India Ltd (CTUIL), a wholly-owned arm of Power Grid Corporation of India Limited, has also sought early decision on the allocation of power to the southern States from Units III and IV to plan the transmission system accordingly.

At a high-level meeting held in November, the Southern Regional Power Committee (SRPC) said States sought a tentative tariff for the units to decide on the requirement and NPCIL agreed to arrange for a meeting to deliberate on the issue. At a meeting held last month, SRPC noted that the proposed meeting by NPCIL had not taken place. 

In response, NPCIL said a committee of experts in the field of electrical power had been constituted to study and determine the normative values of the parameters of operation of atomic power stations, based on pressurised heavy water reactors and light water reactors.

The parameters could be used as standards while arriving at power tariff of new units which would have longer life, it added. The committee report is under final stage. The proposed meeting was not convened since the earlier concept of fixing the tariff was expected to change, NPCIL noted. It also assured that standard procedure of tariff fixation through Department of Atomic Energy and Central Electricity Authority and allocation through Ministry of Power would be followed.