Gorakhpur Nuclear Power Plant

Why in news?

• The Union Minister of Atomic Energy and Space has announced a nuclear plant will soon be operational in Gorakhpur.

About Gorakhpur Nuclear Power Plant:

• Gorakhpur Nuclear Power Plant is located in Haryana
• It will have two units of 700 MWe capacities each of Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) indigenous design.

About nuclear power in India:

• Nuclear power is the fifth-largest source of electricity in India after coal, gas, hydroelectricity and wind power.
• Current installed capacity is 6780 MW (As of 2022).
• Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) is a Public Sector Enterprise is responsible for design, construction, commissioning and operation of nuclear power reactors.
• It works under the administrative control of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Government of India.
• India is currently operating 22 commercial nuclear power reactors in 7 nuclear power plants.
• Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant has the highest capacity (around 2000 MW)

About Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR):

• PHWR is a nuclear power reactor, commonly using un-enriched natural uranium as its fuel.
• It uses heavy water (Deuterium oxide D2O) as its coolant and moderator.
• The heavy water coolant is kept under pressure, allowing it to be heated to higher temperatures without boiling, much as in a typical pressurized water reactor.
• While heavy water is significantly more expensive than ordinary light water, it yields greatly enhanced neutron economy, allowing the reactor to operate without fuel enrichment facilities.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Consider the following pairs:

1. Gorakhpur Nuclear Power Plant   : Haryana

2. Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant : Tamil Nadu

3. Kakrapar Nuclear Power Plant : Gujarat

How many of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?

(a)  Only one pair

(b)  Only two pairs

(c)  All the three pairs

(d)  None of the pairs

Answer