Seventh unit of India's Rajasthan nuclear plant successfully connected to the grid

A new Indian nuclear unit at the Rajasthan power plant has been successfully connected to the electricity grid. This is an important step in commissioning the unit. The unit, equipped with an Indian-designed IPHWR-700 reactor, will now undergo a series of tests at different power levels. The plant's eighth unit is also at an advanced stage of preparation and is expected to enter operation by next year at the latest.

Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) announced that it had successfully reached an important milestone in commissioning its Rajasthan 7 unit for commercial operation. The unit is equipped with a pressurised heavy water reactor (IPHWR-700) and has an installed capacity of 700.

"Indigenous 700 MW PHWRs will form a significant part of the 100 GW nuclear target by 2047 announced by the government. A typical 700 MW reactor will generate about 5.2 TWh of clean electricity annually, thereby saving 4.5 million tonnes of CO2 emissions," NPCIL said in a press release.

Grid connection was preceded by approval from India's nuclear regulator, and the unit will now undergo testing at progressively higher power levels. The Rajasthan power plant already has six reactors with an installed capacity of 1,180 MW. The new Rajasthan 7 and 8 units will increase capacity to 2,580 MW

Development of IPHWRs in India

India commissioned its first IPHWR-700 in 2021 at the Kakrapar nuclear power plant (Unit 3), although it did not enter commercial operation until 2023. In 2023, the plant also commissioned Kakrapar 4, which entered commercial operation in 2024. Rajasthan 7 is therefore so far the third unit of this Indian design to be brought online. In addition to its sister unit Rajasthan 8, which is due to start up by next year at the latest, India is building four more of these units. The country plans to have a total of sixteen reactors of this type in operation by the early 2030s.

"With this reactor, NPCIL now operates 25 reactors with a total capacity of 8,880 MW. Another 13,100 MW is under construction. NPCIL plans to commission additional reactors in the future in an effort to contribute roughly half of the government's 100 GW target," the company added in its statement.