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Madras Atomic Power Station

{{Short description|Nuclear power plant south of Chennai, India}}

{{Use Indian English|date=June 2015}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}

{{Infobox power station

|name = Madras Atomic Power station

|image =

|image_caption =

|country = India

|coordinates = {{coord|12|33|27|N|80|10|30|E|region:IN_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

|owner = Units 1 & 2: NPCIL
PFBR, FBR-1&2: BHAVINI

|operator = Units 1 & 2: NPCIL
PFBR, FBR-1&2: BHAVINI

|construction_began = Units 1 & 2: {{Start date|df=yes|1970|}}
PFBR: {{Start date|df=yes|2004|01|}}

|commissioned = Units 1: {{Start date|df=yes|1984|01|27}}
Units 2: {{Start date|df=yes|1986|03|21}}

|decommissioned =

| np_reactors = 2

| np_reactor_type = Units 1 & 2: IPHWR-220
PFBR: Prototype
FBR-1&2: FBR-600

| np_reactor_supplier = Units 1 & 2: BARC/NPCIL
PFBR, FBR-1&2: IGCAR/BHAVINI

|ps_cooling_source = Bay of Bengal

|ps_cooling_towers =

| ps_units_operational = 2 × 220 MW

| ps_units_decommissioned =

| ps_units_uc = 1 × 500 MW

| ps_units_planned = 2 × 600 MW

| ps_electrical_capacity = 440

| ps_annual_generation = 1703.92 GW.h (2020-21){{cite web |title=Monthly Genration Reports Actual for Apr – 2021 : Central Sector Nuclear |url=https://npp.gov.in/public-reports/cea/monthly/generation/18%20col%20act/2021/MAR//18%20col%20act-10_2021-MAR.pdf |website=National Power Portal |publisher=Central Electricity Authority |access-date=10 October 2021}}

| ps_electrical_cap_fac = 44.21% (2020-21)

|website = [http://www.npcil.nic.in/ Nuclear power Corporation of India Ltd]

}}

Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS) located at Kalpakkam about {{convert|80|km|mi}} south of Chennai, India, is a comprehensive nuclear power production, fuel reprocessing, and waste treatment facility that includes plutonium fuel fabrication for fast breeder reactors (FBRs). It is also India's first fully indigenously constructed nuclear power station{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}, with two units each generating 220 MW of electricity. The first and second units of the station went critical in 1983 and 1985, respectively. The station has reactors housed in a reactor building with double shell containment improving protection also in the case of a loss-of-coolant accident. An Interim Storage Facility (ISF) is also located in Kalpakkam.

The facility is also home to India's first large scale fast breeder reactor of 500 MWe called the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor operated by BHAVINI and will also be the site of first two FBR-600 commercial fast breeder reactors.{{cite journal |last1=Chetal |first1=SC |title=Beyond PFBR to FBR 1 and 2 |journal=IGC Newsletter |date=January 2013 |volume=95 |page=2 |url=http://www.igcar.gov.in/lis/nl95/igc95.pdf|publisher=Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research |access-date=16 April 2021}}

History

During its construction, a total of 3.8 lakh (380,000) railway sleeper (logs) were brought from all over India to lift the 180 ton critical equipment in the first unit, due to lack of proper infrastructure and handling equipment.{{cite web|url=http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/content/madras-atomic-power-station-marks-silver-jubilee|title=MAPS Silver Jubilee Celebration|website=indiaenvironmentportal.org.in|publisher=India Environment Portal|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20121218191237/http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/content/madras-atomic-power-station-marks-silver-jubilee|archivedate=18 December 2012|url-status=dead}}

{{As of|July 2016}} the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) was in its final construction stage, and was expected to reach criticality in March 2017 with 500 MW of electricity production.{{cite web | url =http://dae.nic.in/writereaddata/parl/monsoon2016/rsus1184.pdf | title =Answer on 28.07.2016 to Rajya Sabha unstarred question no.1184 to Government of India Department of Atomic Energy | last1 =Singh | first1 =Jitendra | author-link1 =Jitendra Singh (Congress politician) | date =28 July 2016 | website =dae.nic.in | publisher =Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India. | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20160808121517/http://dae.nic.in/writereaddata/parl/monsoon2016/rsus1184.pdf | archive-date =8 August 2016 | url-status =dead | access-date =8 August 2016 | quote =PFBR is poised for first criticality by March, 2017. }}

The following month the loading of the 1750 ton liquid sodium coolant were expected to happen in four to five months, with sources in the Department of Atomic Energy reporting that criticality would likely be reached only around May 2017.{{cite web | url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/prototype-fast-breeder-reactor-likely-to-be-delayed/article8919482.ece | title = Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor likely to be delayed | last1 =Rohit | first1 =T.K. | date = 30 July 2016 | work = The Hindu | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20160730011953/http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/prototype-fast-breeder-reactor-likely-to-be-delayed/article8919482.ece | archive-date =30 July 2016 | url-status =live | access-date =8 August 2016 }}

Reactors

The facility houses two indigenously built Pressurised Heavy-Water Reactors (PHWRs), MAPS-1 and MAPS-2 designed to produce 235 MW of electricity each. MAPS-1 was completed in 1981, but start-up was delayed due to a shortage of heavy water. After procuring the necessary heavy water, MAPS-1 went critical in 1983 and began operating at full power on 27 January 1984. MAPS-2 obtained criticality in 1985 and began full power operations on 21 March 1986.{{cite web|url= http://www.nti.org/e_research/profiles/India/Nuclear/2103_2460.html |title= NTI: Country Overviews: India: Nuclear Facilities Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS) |work= Nuclear Threat Initiative |date=September 2003 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20040317171051/http://www.nti.org/e_research/profiles/India/Nuclear/2103_2460.html |archive-date= 2004-03-17 |access-date= 2017-02-18 |url-status=dead}}[http://www.npcil.nic.in/main/ProjectOperationDisplay.aspx?ReactorID=75 Plants Under Operation - Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141108194125/http://www.npcil.nic.in/main/ProjectOperationDisplay.aspx?ReactorID=75 |date=8 November 2014 }}. Npcil.nic.in. Retrieved 2013-12-06.

With India not being a signatory to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons the reactors have since 1985 been delivering their spent fuel to the nuclear reprocessing plant at Tarapur, providing the country with unsafeguarded plutonium.

A beachhead at Kalpakkam also hosts India's first indigenous Pressurised (light) water reactor (PWR). The 80 MW reactor was developed by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) as the land-based prototype of the nuclear power unit for India's nuclear submarines.{{cite news|url = http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/pwr-building-shows-indigenous-capability-says-kakodkar/article195785.ece|location = Chennai, India|work = The Hindu|title = PWR building shows indigenous capability, says Kakodkar|date = 3 August 2009}} This unit does not come under MAPS.

Units

{{mw-datatable}}

class="wikitable sortable mw-datatable"

! rowspan="2" |Phase

! rowspan="2" |Unit
No.

! colspan="2" |Reactor

! rowspan="2" |Status

! colspan="2" |Capacity in MWe

! rowspan="2" |Construction start

! rowspan="2" |First criticality

! rowspan="2" |Grid Connection

! rowspan="2" |Commercial operation

! rowspan="2" |Closure

! rowspan="2" |Notes

Type ||Model ||Net ||Gross
rowspan="2"| I1PHWRIPHWR-220{{yes2|Operation suspended (under maintenance)}}2022201 January 19712 July 198323 July 198327 January 1984{{N/A}}

| {{cite book |title=Hundred and sixty second report Public Accounts Committee (Eighth Lok Sabha) 1988–89 Madras Atomic Power Project, Department of Atomic Energy |date=27 April 1989 |publisher=Lok Sabha |page=40 |url=https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/4067/1/pac_8_162_1989.pdf |access-date=16 April 2021}}{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/npcil-commission-nuclear-power-reactor-every-year-pathak-interview/article67751083.ece|title=India will 'commission a nuclear power reactor every year': NPCIL chief|first=T.S|last=Subramanian|work=The Hindu|date=2024-01-14}}

2PHWRIPHWR-220{{yes|Operational}}2022201 October 197212 August 198520 September 198521 March 1986{{N/A}}

|

II3FBRPFBR{{yes2|Completed}}47050023 October 2004{{N/A}}{{N/A}}{{N/A}}{{N/A}}

| {{cite book |title=Hundred and sixty second report Public Accounts Committee (Eighth Lok Sabha) 1988–89 Madras Atomic Power Project, Department of Atomic Energy |date=27 April 1989 |publisher=Lok Sabha |page=40 |url=https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/4067/1/pac_8_162_1989.pdf |access-date=16 April 2021}}

rowspan="2"| III4FBRFBR-600{{Planned}}570600{{N/A}}{{N/A}}{{N/A}}{{N/A}}{{N/A}}

| {{cite book |title=Hundred and sixty second report Public Accounts Committee (Eighth Lok Sabha) 1988–89 Madras Atomic Power Project, Department of Atomic Energy |date=27 April 1989 |publisher=Lok Sabha |page=40 |url=https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/4067/1/pac_8_162_1989.pdf |access-date=16 April 2021}}

5FBRFBR-600{{Planned}}570600{{N/A}}{{N/A}}{{N/A}}{{N/A}}{{N/A}}

| {{cite book |title=Hundred and sixty second report Public Accounts Committee (Eighth Lok Sabha) 1988–89 Madras Atomic Power Project, Department of Atomic Energy |date=27 April 1989 |publisher=Lok Sabha |page=40 |url=https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/4067/1/pac_8_162_1989.pdf |access-date=16 April 2021}}

Incidents

The reactors' coolant pipes had been plagued by vibrations and cracking with substantial cracking in the reactor coolant system. This cracking has led to the discovery of Zircaloy pieces in a moderator pump, requiring the power generation to be lowered to 170 MW.

On 26 March 1999 large amounts of heavy water spilled at MAPS-2, exposing seven technicians to heavy{{Quantify|date=January 2023}} doses of radiation.

See also

{{Portal|India|Nuclear technology|Energy}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20060517070700/http://www.npcil.nic.in/maps.asp Nuclear power Corporation of India Ltd]
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20141108194125/http://www.npcil.nic.in/main/ProjectOperationDisplay.aspx?ReactorID=75 Plants Under Operation: Madras Atomic Power Station]
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20110904033144/http://www.nti.org/e_research/profiles/India/Nuclear/facilities.html NTI India Profile]

{{Nuclear power in India}}

{{Kanchipuram district}}

{{Power Plants of Tamil Nadu}}

Category:Nuclear reprocessing sites

Category:Nuclear power stations in Tamil Nadu

Category:Nuclear power stations with reactors under construction

Category:Buildings and structures in Kanchipuram district

Category:Power plants in Chennai

Category:Civilian nuclear power accidents

Category:1984 establishments in Tamil Nadu