The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) has announced the start of the initial fuel loading process for Unit 7 of the Rajasthan Atomic Power Project (RAPP-7) following regulatory approval. Unit 7, part of the RAPP-7 and 8 project with a 700 MW capacity, has entered its initial operational phase. It will soon undergo the first approach to criticality and is expected to start commercial power generation later this year.
Further, RAPP-8, the sister unit, is scheduled to begin operations next year. RAPP-7 is the third unit in a series of 16 indigenous pressurised heavy water reactors being developed in India.