By IANS
Kalpakkam (Tamil Nadu) : The project to build the 500-MW prototype fast breeder reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam was well on schedule, and the safety vessel for it will be lowered into the reactor vault early November.
The safety vessel, 13.4 metres in diameter and 13.4 metre tall, with a dish bottom has been fabricated by Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T) at the project site.
“This is the first time the reactor vessel has been fabricated at site,” Prabhat Kumar, project director, told the media here Tuesday.
“The project is progressing as per our schedule,” Kumar added.
The Rs.34.92 billion ($85 million) nuclear power plant is being built by Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (Bhavini), a joint venture between the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited.
The safety vessel outer is stacked with 0.1-mm-thick mirror polish steel plates that would act as thermal insulator for the reactor, Kumar said.
While the orders for all major equipments were placed, Kumar said the remaining orders will be placed during the course of the project.
According to him, the critical items that will be received shortly are: main reactor vessel, inner vessel, steam generator and primary pipe from L&T. The reactor roof slab final assembly will be done at Kalpakkam by L&T.
The Hyderabad-based MTR will supply control plug, grid plate, control safety rod drive mechanism (CSRDM) and diverse safety rod drive mechanism (DSRDM).
The Pune-based Walchandnagar Industries will supply core catcher and core support structure.
Power equipment giant Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited has bagged the Rs.5.3 billion order for the supply of turbo generator and associated equipment. Kirloskar Brothers will supply the pumps for the reactor.
Almost 100,000 cubic metres of concreting has been done at the work site.
“There is no honey combing seen in the concrete. We haven’t missed any reinforcement and there are no reinforcement projections,” said Kumar about the construction quality. The civil work order has been placed with Gammon India Limited.