Country India Commission date 16 November 2000 Units operational 4 x 220 MW | Status Operational Reactor type PHWR Construction began 1989 | |
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Operator(s) Nuclear Power Corporation of India LTD. Similar Kudankulam Nuclear Power Pl, Pressurized heavy‑water reactor, Prototype Fast Breeder, Fast Breeder Test Rea, Kadra Dam | ||
Kaiga Generating Station is a nuclear power generating station situated at Kaiga, near the river Kali, in Uttar Kannada district of Karnataka, India. The plant has been in operation since March 2000 and is operated by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India.
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It has four units. The fourth unit went critical on 27 November 2010. The two oldest units comprise the west half of the site and the two newer units are adjoining the east side of the site. All of the four units are small-sized CANDU plants of 220 MW.
History
On 27 November 2010 the Kaiga Atomic Power Station unit 4 of 220 MW capacity became operational.
On 19 January 2011, unit 4 with 220 MW capacity was connected to the southern power grid at 01:56 hours. With this, the total capacity rose to 880 MW making it the third largest in India after Tarapur (1400 MW) and Rawatbhata (1180 MW). The unit, fueled by indigenous uranium, will supply electricity to Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
Two PHWR units each producing 700 MW have been planned for this location. As of February 2017 pre-project activities have begun for them and if everything goes as planned the first of the two will become critical around 2024-25.
Incidents
In 2009 about 100 workers were exposed to increased levels of tritium from a contaminated water cooler believed to have been poisoned by a disgruntled worker, who was not apprehended.
