Nadeem Ahmed at 04:21, 28 July 2025

2025-07-28T04:21:04Z

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{{Short description|Nuclear power plant south of Chennai, India}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox power station
|name = Madras Atomic Power station
|image =
|image_caption =
|country = India
|coordinates = {{coord|12|33|27|N|80|10|30|E|region:IN_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
|owner = Units 1 & 2: [[NPCIL]] PFBR, FBR-1&2: [[BHAVINI]]
|operator = Units 1 & 2: [[NPCIL]] PFBR, FBR-1&2: [[BHAVINI]]
|construction_began = Units 1 & 2: {{Start date|df=yes|1970|}} PFBR: {{Start date|df=yes|2004|01|}}
|commissioned = Units 1: {{Start date|df=yes|1984|01|27}} Units 2: {{Start date|df=yes|1986|03|21}}
|decommissioned =
| np_reactors = 2
| np_reactor_type = Units 1 & 2: [[IPHWR-220]] PFBR: [[PFBR|Prototype]] FBR-1&2: [[FBR-600]]
| np_reactor_supplier = Units 1 & 2: [[Bhabha Atomic Research Centre|BARC]]/[[NPCIL]] PFBR, FBR-1&2: [[IGCAR]]/[[BHAVINI]]
|ps_cooling_source = [[Bay of Bengal]]
|ps_cooling_towers =
| ps_units_operational = 2 × 220 MW
| ps_units_decommissioned =
| ps_units_uc = 1 × 500 MW
| ps_units_planned = 2 × 600 MW
| ps_electrical_capacity = 440
| ps_annual_generation = 1703.92 [[Kilowatt-hour#Multiples|GW.h]] (2020-21)<ref name="npp_capfactor_2020-21">{{cite web |title=Monthly Genration Reports Actual for Apr – 2021 : Central Sector Nuclear |url=https://npp.gov.in/public-reports/cea/monthly/generation/18%20col%20act/2021/MAR//18%20col%20act-10_2021-MAR.pdf |website=National Power Portal |publisher=Central Electricity Authority |access-date=10 October 2021}}</ref>
| ps_electrical_cap_fac = 44.21% (2020-21)<ref name="npp_capfactor_2020-21"/>
|website = [http://www.npcil.nic.in/ Nuclear power Corporation of India Ltd]
}}
'''Madras Atomic Power Station''' ('''MAPS''') located at [[Kalpakkam]] about {{convert|80|km|mi}} south of [[Chennai]], [[India]], is a comprehensive [[nuclear power]] production, fuel [[Nuclear reprocessing|reprocessing]], and [[Nuclear waste|waste treatment]] facility that includes [[plutonium]] [[Nuclear fuel|fuel fabrication]] for [[fast breeder reactor]]s (FBRs). It is also India's first fully indigenously constructed [[Nuclear power plant|nuclear power station]]{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}, with two units each generating 220 MW of electricity. The first and second units of the station went critical in 1983 and 1985, respectively. The station has reactors housed in a reactor building with double shell containment improving protection also in the case of a [[loss-of-coolant accident]]. An Interim Storage Facility (ISF) is also located in Kalpakkam.

The facility is also home to India's first large scale [[fast breeder reactor]] of 500 MWe called the [[Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor]] operated by [[BHAVINI]] and will also be the site of first two [[FBR-600]] commercial fast breeder reactors.<ref name=chetal>{{cite journal |last1=Chetal |first1=SC |title=Beyond PFBR to FBR 1 and 2 |journal=IGC Newsletter |date=January 2013 |volume=95 |page=2 |url=http://www.igcar.gov.in/lis/nl95/igc95.pdf |publisher=[[Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research]] |access-date=16 April 2021 |archive-date=16 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416223156/http://www.igcar.gov.in/lis/nl95/igc95.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== History ==
During its construction, a total of 3.8 [[lakh]] (380,000) railway sleeper (logs) were brought from all over India to lift the 180 ton critical equipment in the first unit, due to lack of proper infrastructure and handling equipment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/content/madras-atomic-power-station-marks-silver-jubilee|title=MAPS Silver Jubilee Celebration|website=indiaenvironmentportal.org.in|publisher=India Environment Portal|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20121218191237/http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/content/madras-atomic-power-station-marks-silver-jubilee|archivedate=18 December 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

{{As of|July 2016}} the [[Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor]] (PFBR) was in its final construction stage, and was expected to reach criticality in March 2017 with 500 MW of electricity production.<ref name=chetal/><ref>{{cite web | url =http://dae.nic.in/writereaddata/parl/monsoon2016/rsus1184.pdf | title =Answer on 28.07.2016 to Rajya Sabha unstarred question no.1184 to Government of India Department of Atomic Energy | last1 =Singh | first1 =Jitendra | author-link1 =Jitendra Singh (Congress politician) | date =28 July 2016 | website =dae.nic.in | publisher =Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India. | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20160808121517/http://dae.nic.in/writereaddata/parl/monsoon2016/rsus1184.pdf | archive-date =8 August 2016 | url-status =dead | access-date =8 August 2016 | quote =PFBR is poised for first criticality by March, 2017. }}</ref>
The following month the loading of the 1750 ton liquid [[sodium]] [[coolant]] were expected to happen in four to five months, with sources in the [[Department of Atomic Energy]] reporting that criticality would likely be reached only around May 2017.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/prototype-fast-breeder-reactor-likely-to-be-delayed/article8919482.ece | title = Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor likely to be delayed | last1 =Rohit | first1 =T.K. | date = 30 July 2016 | work = [[The Hindu]] | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20160730011953/http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/prototype-fast-breeder-reactor-likely-to-be-delayed/article8919482.ece | archive-date =30 July 2016 | url-status =live | access-date =8 August 2016 }}</ref>

== Reactors ==
The facility houses two indigenously built Pressurised Heavy-Water Reactors ([[PHWR]]s), MAPS-1 and MAPS-2 designed to produce 235 MW of electricity each.<ref name=NTI/> MAPS-1 was completed in 1981, but start-up was delayed due to a shortage of [[heavy water]]. After procuring the necessary heavy water, MAPS-1 went critical in 1983 and began operating at full power on 27 January 1984. MAPS-2 obtained criticality in 1985 and began full power operations on 21 March 1986.<ref name=NTI>{{cite web|url= http://www.nti.org/e_research/profiles/India/Nuclear/2103_2460.html |title= NTI: Country Overviews: India: Nuclear Facilities Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS) |work= [[Nuclear Threat Initiative]] |date=September 2003 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20040317171051/http://www.nti.org/e_research/profiles/India/Nuclear/2103_2460.html |archive-date= 2004-03-17 |access-date= 2017-02-18 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>[http://www.npcil.nic.in/main/ProjectOperationDisplay.aspx?ReactorID=75 Plants Under Operation - Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141108194125/http://www.npcil.nic.in/main/ProjectOperationDisplay.aspx?ReactorID=75 |date=8 November 2014 }}. Npcil.nic.in. Retrieved 2013-12-06.</ref>

With India not being a signatory to the [[Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons]] the reactors have since 1985 been delivering their [[spent fuel]] to the [[nuclear reprocessing]] plant at Tarapur, providing the country with [[IAEA safeguards|unsafeguarded]] [[plutonium]].<ref name=NTI/>

A beachhead at Kalpakkam also hosts India's first indigenous [[Pressurised water reactor|Pressurised (light) water reactor]] (PWR). The 80 MW reactor was developed by [[Bhabha Atomic Research Centre]] (BARC) as the land-based prototype of the nuclear power unit for India's nuclear submarines.<ref>{{cite news|url = http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/pwr-building-shows-indigenous-capability-says-kakodkar/article195785.ece|location = Chennai, India|work = The Hindu|title = PWR building shows indigenous capability, says Kakodkar|date = 3 August 2009}}</ref> This unit does not come under MAPS.

== Units ==
{{mw-datatable}}
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-datatable"
! rowspan="2" |Phase
! rowspan="2" |Unit No.
! colspan="2" |Reactor
! rowspan="2" |Status
! colspan="2" |Capacity in MWe
! rowspan="2" |Construction start
! rowspan="2" |First [[Criticality (status)|criticality]]
! rowspan="2" |Grid Connection
! rowspan="2" |Commercial operation
! rowspan="2" |Closure
! rowspan="2" |Notes
|-
! Type ||Model ||Net ||Gross
|-
| rowspan="2"| I || 1 || [[Pressurized heavy-water reactor|PHWR]] || [[IPHWR-220]] || {{yes2|Operation suspended (under maintenance)}} || 202 || 220 || 1 January 1971 || 2 July 1983 || 23 July 1983 || 27 January 1984 || {{N/A}}
| <ref name="maps_pac_report"/><ref name="TH-140124">{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/npcil-commission-nuclear-power-reactor-every-year-pathak-interview/article67751083.ece|title=India will 'commission a nuclear power reactor every year': NPCIL chief|first=T.S|last=Subramanian|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=2024-01-14}}</ref>
|-
| 2 || [[Pressurized heavy-water reactor|PHWR]] || [[IPHWR-220]] || {{yes|Operational}} || 202 || 220 || 1 October 1972 || 12 August 1985 || 20 September 1985 || 21 March 1986 || {{N/A}}
| <ref name="maps_pac_report"|page=40/>
|-
| II || 3 || [[Breeder reactor#Fast breeder reactor|FBR]] || [[PFBR]] || {{yes2|Completed}} || 470 || 500 || 23 October 2004 || {{N/A}} || {{N/A}} || {{N/A}} || {{N/A}}
| <ref name="maps_pac_report"/>
|-
| rowspan="2"| III || 4 || [[Breeder reactor#Fast breeder reactor|FBR]] || [[FBR-600]] || {{Planned}} || 570 || 600 || {{N/A}} || {{N/A}} || {{N/A}} || {{N/A}} || {{N/A}}
| <ref name="maps_pac_report">{{cite book |title=Hundred and sixty second report Public Accounts Committee (Eighth Lok Sabha) 1988–89 Madras Atomic Power Project, Department of Atomic Energy |date=27 April 1989 |publisher=[[Lok Sabha]] |page=40 |url=https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/4067/1/pac_8_162_1989.pdf |access-date=16 April 2021}}</ref>
|-
| 5 || [[Breeder reactor#Fast breeder reactor|FBR]] || [[FBR-600]] || {{Planned}} || 570 || 600 || {{N/A}}|| {{N/A}} || {{N/A}} || {{N/A}} || {{N/A}}
| <ref name="maps_pac_report"/>
|}

== Incidents ==
The reactors' coolant pipes had been plagued by vibrations and cracking with substantial cracking in the reactor coolant system. This cracking has led to the discovery of [[Zircaloy]] pieces in a moderator pump, requiring the power generation to be lowered to 170 MW.<ref name=NTI/>

On 26 March 1999 large amounts of heavy water spilled at MAPS-2, exposing seven technicians to heavy{{Quantify|date=January 2023}} [[radiation dose|doses of radiation]].<ref name=NTI/>

==See also==
{{Portal|India|Nuclear technology|Energy}}
* [[List of power stations in India]]
* [[Nuclear power in India]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060517070700/http://www.npcil.nic.in/maps.asp Nuclear power Corporation of India Ltd]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20141108194125/http://www.npcil.nic.in/main/ProjectOperationDisplay.aspx?ReactorID=75 Plants Under Operation: Madras Atomic Power Station]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110904033144/http://www.nti.org/e_research/profiles/India/Nuclear/facilities.html NTI India Profile]

{{Nuclear power in India}}
{{Kanchipuram district}}
{{Power Plants of Tamil Nadu}}

[[Category:Nuclear reprocessing sites]]
[[Category:Nuclear power stations in Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Nuclear power stations with reactors under construction]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Kanchipuram district]]
[[Category:Power plants in Chennai]]
[[Category:Civilian nuclear power accidents]]
[[Category:1984 establishments in Tamil Nadu]]

Madras Atomic Power Station - Revision history

Nadeem Ahmed at 04:21, 28 July 2025