AERB grants operational license for Kakrapar Atomic Power Project in Gujarat

The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) has granted the License for Operation to Units 3 and 4 of the Kakrapar Atomic Power Station (KAPS-3 and KAPS-4), clearing the way for full-scale commercial operation of India’s first 700 MWe indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs).

The licensing comes after nearly 15 years of detailed, multi-stage safety reviews. The process spanned siting, construction, and full-power commissioning, with input from reactor safety experts and Technical Support Organisations.

KAPS-3 received clearance for full power operation in August 2023, followed by KAPS-4 in August 2024. With the latest approval, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) now holds a five-year operational license for both reactors.

Located about 80 km from Surat near the Tapi River, KAPS was originally called the Gujarat Atomic Power Project. Construction began in 1984 on the site of a former aluminium plant. NPCIL operates the station under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).

KAPS-3 and KAPS-4 were built at an estimated cost of Rs 225 billion. Tata Consulting Engineers (TCE) provided extensive consulting engineering services for both units. TCE also developed India’s first Mobile Fuel Transfer Machine for 700 MWe PHWRs. This was the first time an indigenous nuclear plant was engineered using integrated 3D modelling in the country.