India
orders safety review of nuclear reactors: PM
Monday March 14, 2011 08:09:57 PM,
IANS
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New
Delhi/Mumbai: India Monday said its nuclear reactors
can withstand "large natural disasters" but has ordered a safety
review at nuclear plants following a nuclear fallout in
disaster-hit Japan.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told the Lok Sabha that the
government wanted safety systems at all its nuclear plants studied
to ensure they can withstand natural disasters like tsunamis and
earthquakes.
"The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and its agencies, including
the Nuclear Power Corp of India Ltd (NPCIL), have been instructed
to undertake an immediate technical review of all safety systems
of our nuclear power plants, particularly to (ensure) they would
be able to withstand the impact of large disasters such as
tsunamis and earthquakes," he said.
He sought to reassure the house that the government attaches "the
highest importance to nuclear safety".
The NPCIL, which operates 20 nuclear power reactors, said that
Indian nuclear plants maintain the highest levels of safety as per
international norms and have withstood major natural disasters in
the past.
The DAE and NPCIL are closely monitoring the situation. They are
in touch with the World Association of Nuclear Operators, Tokyo
Centre, the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, World Nuclear
Association and the International Atomic Energy Agency.
"In-depth review of all such events have been done for all the
plants and necessary reinforcement features based on the outcome
of these reviews have been incorporated as a laid down procedure.
"The event of Japan will be reviewed in detail in due course as
the detailed information becomes available. Resulting out of such
a review, any reinforcement as needed in Indian reactors will be
implemented," the NPCIL said in a statement late Sunday.
Manmohan Singh said India operates 20 nuclear plants and 18 of
them were indigenous pressurized heavy water reactors and two at
Tarapur plant were boiling water reactors of the type being
operated in Japan.
"A safety audit of these reactors has been completed recently," he
said in a statement.
Manmohan Singh said the Indian nuclear plants have in the past met
their safety standards.
He said that work "is under way in DAE towards further
strengthening of India's national nuclear safety regulatory
authority".
The 20 nuclear power reactors in India have an installed capacity
of 4,780 MW, including two Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs). The rest
are Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWRs). Their safety was
re-analysed some years back and reviewed by the Atomic Energy
Regulatory Board.
Japan has 54 nuclear reactors.
The PHWRs are designed differently than BWRs, and they also have
multiple shutdown systems as well as cooling water systems.
The Indian nuclear plants proved their safety during the severe
Gujarat earthquake of 2001. The Kakrapar atomic power plant
continued to operate safely and supplied much-need energy to
affected regions, the statement said.
Similarly, during the 2004 tsunami which hit Tamil Nadu, the
Madras Atomic Power Station was safely shut down without any
radiological consequences. It was restarted a few days later
following regulatory review, it said.
Japan's Fukushima city is home to 10 reactors at two power plants,
and explosions have occurred at two of the reactors since Friday's
magnitude-9 earthquake and tsunami.
One explosion occurred Saturday and the second Monday after a 6.2
magnitude aftershock.
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