New Delhi: North India’s first nuclear plant is coming up in Gorakhpur village of Fatehabad district in Haryana, which is about 150 km north of the national capital.
Disclosing this here today, Union Minister of State for Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said a bulk approval of the installation of 10 nuclear reactors has been given a nod by the Union Government.
The Minister said that the Department of Atomic Energy has also been given permission for forming joint ventures with Public Sector Undertakings for resources to open up atomic energy plants, “which is an upcoming and promising sector, having the potential to fulfil India’s all energy needs in times to come”.
The Gorakhpur Haryana Anu Vidyut Pariyojana’s (GHAVP) with two units of 700 MWe capacity each of Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) indigenous design is under implementation near Gorakhpur village in Fatehabad district in Haryana. To date, an amount of ₹4,906 Cr has been spent out of the total allocated funds of 20,594 crores. (Total Financial progress is 23.8% as of date).
Construction of other main plant buildings and structures such as Fire Water Pump House (FWPH), Safety Related Pump House (SRPH), Fuel Oil storage area-1&2 (FOSA-1&2), Ventilation stack, overhead tank (OHT), Switchyard Control Building, Safety related and Non-safety related Tunnel and Trenches, Retaining walls and Garland Drain is progressing well, the Minister said.
Dr Singh further said that the ground improvement in Turbine Building -1 and 2, as well as 220 kV Switchyard and Indirect Dry Cooling Tower (IDCT)-1A is completed, while ground improvement in other areas IDCTs, 400kV Switchyard, Emergency makeup water pond and station roads are in progress. The contractors for the IDCT package and Turbine Island Package have mobilized the site.
Purchase orders for major long manufacturing cycle equipment/components like Primary Coolant Pumps, Calandria, Reactor Headers, Refuelling Machines Heads, Moderator and other D20 Heat Exchangers, etc. are already in place. End Shields and all Steam Generators for the first unit have been received at the site. Manufacturing of other equipment is in various stages and delivery at the site is expected well in time to meet the construction schedule.
Construction of a Water Duct from Tohana to GHAVP for meeting operational cooling water requirements has been taken up through Haryana Irrigation and Water Resources Department (HI&WRD) as deposit work and progressing well.
It may be mentioned that so far the installation of nuclear/ atomic energy plants were confined mostly to the south Indian States like Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh or in the west in Maharashtra.
– global bihari bureau
