Title of article
ConstructionmanagementofIndianpressurizedheavywaterreactorsOriginalResearchArticle
Author/Authors
S.A.Bohra، نويسنده , , P.D.Sharma، نويسنده ,
Issue Information
روزنامه با شماره پیاپی سال 2006
Pages
16
From page
836
To page
851
Abstract
PanditJawaharlalNehruandDr.HomiJ.Bhabha,thevisionaryarchitectsofScienceandTechnologyofmodernIndiaforesawtheimperativeneedtoestablishafirmbaseforindigenousresearchanddevelopmentinthefieldofnuclearelectricitygeneration.Theinitialphasehasprimarilyfocusedonthetechnologydevelopmentinasystematicandstructuredmanner,whichhasresultedinestablishmentofstrongengineering,manufacturingandconstructionbase.
Thenuclearpowerprogramstartedwiththesettingupoftwounitsofboilinglightwatertypereactorsin1969forspeedyestablishmentofnucleartechnology,safetyculture,anddevelopmentofoperationandmaintenancemanpower.Themainaimatthatstagewastodemonstrate(toourselves,andindeedtotherestoftheworld)thatIndia,inspiteofbeingadevelopingcountry,withlimitedindustrialinfrastructureandlowcapacitypowergrids,couldsuccessfullyassimilatethehightechnologyinvolvedinthesafeandeconomicaloperationofnuclearpowerreactors.TheselectionofaBWRwasincontrasttothepressurizedheavywaterreactors(PHWR),whichwasidentifiedastheflagshipforthefirststageofIndiaʹsnuclearpowerprogram.Thelong-termprograminthreestagesutilizeslargereservesofthoriuminthemonazitesandsofKeralabeachesinthethirdstagewithfirststagecomprisingofseriesofPHWRtypeplantswithabaseof10,000MW.Indiahasatpresent14reactorsinoperation12ofthesebeingofPHWRtype.
Theperformanceofoperatingunitsof2720MWhasimprovedsignificantlywithanoverallcapacityfactorofabout90%inrecenttimes.
Theconstructionworkoneightreactorunitswithinstalledcapacityof3960MW(twoPHWRsof540MWeach,fourPHWRsof220MWeachandtwoVVERsof1000MWeach)isproceedingonarapidpacewithprojectschedulesoflessthan5yearsfromfirstpourofconcrete.Thisisbeingachievedthroughadvancedconstructiontechnologyandmanagement.Presenteffortsarefocusedonfurtherreductionofgestationperiod.Thisisincontrasttoconstructionperiodof7–14yearsintheearlierprojectswithlabourintensiveconstructionmethods,learningperiodandindigenisation.Thescheduleandcostareinterrelatedandultimatelydeterminetheviabilityandcompetitiveedgeofaproject.Withrichexperienceofover30yearsofoperationandconstructionmanagementitiswellestablishedthatsettingupofnuclearpowerprojectsinIndiain4–5yearsisquitefeasiblebecauseoftremendousdevelopmentsinconstructiontechnology;mechanization,parallelcivilworksandequipmenterection,computerizedprojectmonitoringandaccountingsystems.Byconsideringthebestachievedtimesforthecriticalpathactivitiesofpreviousandongoingprojects,evena4-yearscheduleisachievable.Fornuclearpowertobecompetitiveitisessentialthatthegestationperiodisreducedandthecapacityutilizationenhanced.BothofthesearethegoalsoftheIndiannuclearpowerprogram.PresentlytheovernightcostperkWinstalledcapacityisintherangeofUS$1100–1300withlevellisedtariffof5c/kWh.
Journal title
Nuclear Engineering and Design Eslah
Serial Year
2006
Journal title
Nuclear Engineering and Design Eslah
Record number
896039
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