Chennai(IANS) : Construction work on a seawater intake channel for the 500 MW prototype fast breeder reactor project at Kalpakkam has started.
The indigenously designed faster breeder reactor is being built by Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nagam Limited (Bhavini).
The half kilometre-submarine tunnel being built by Gammon India Limited is expected to be ready in 30 months’ time, project director Prabhat Kumar told IANS here.
The seawater taken in will be de-salted and used to cool the reactor condenser.
According to Kumar, work on the Rs.34.92 billion-project is progressing well.
“Orders for all the civil construction work and instrumentation have been placed. Orders have been placed for 80 percent of the electrical products and 60 percent mechanical products,” Kumar added.
Meanwhile, the lowering of the reactor safety vessel into the reactor vault that was supposed to happen in November, has got delayed.
According to Kumar, the vessel will have to be lifted by a big crane to be assembled at the project site.
Two smaller cranes are needed to assemble the bigger one that would lift the vessel.
“Getting ready the second small crane is facing some delay for want of components. Work is in progress and lowering of the reactor safety vessel into the reactor vault is expected to happen later this month,” he said.
Fabricated by Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T) at the project site, the 165-tonne safety vessel measures 13.4 m in diameter and 13.4 m height with a dish bottom.
It is for the first time in India that a reactor safety vessel has been fabricated at the project site.