PM congratulates KAPS staff for new world record

Karwar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated engineers and scientists of Kaiga Atomic Power Station (KAPS) for setting a new world record on Monday, December 10, with one of its units operating uninterrupted for more than 940 days.

Modi in a tweet said that  “Another world record by Indian scientists and engineers. The indigenously designed Kaiga-I nuclear power unit has run non-stop for over 940 days. This is a major feat.” 

The Unit-1 of KAPS has made the country proud by registering 941 days of continuous operation on Monday said the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. The unit so far has generated about 5 billion units of electricity, informed officials.

Earlier the record was held by the Unit 2 of Heysham of the United Kingdom, which operated non-stop for 940 days. On Monday, Unit 1 of Kaiga will surpass that record to set a new one and it will continue to generate power till December 30, and on December 30 Unit 1 of Kaiga will be shut down for maintenance, informed sources.

It may be recalled that on October 24, KAPS had become the first-ever plant in the Heavy Pressurised Water category to have generated power continuously for 894 days. Previously a unit of Pickering Nuclear Generating Station (PNGS) had held this record.

Located 56 km from Karwar, the Kaiga plant has four units. Each unit generates 220 MW power. The power generated is supplied to Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Four months ago, the same unit of Kaiga had set a national record for continuous operation of 766 days.

It was constructed in 1989, shortly after harsh sanctions by the United States were imposed against India’s Pokhran-II nuclear test of 1998. The crucial test made India a nuclear power by successfully detonating a series of five nuclear bombs.