ConstructionmanagementofIndianpressurizedheavywaterreactorsOriginalResearchArticle

PanditJawaharlalNehruandDr.HomiJ.Bhabha,thevisionaryarchitectsofScienceandTechnologyofmodernIndiaforesawtheimperativeneedtoestablishafirmbaseforindigenousresearchanddevelopmentinthefieldofnuclearelectricitygeneration.Theinitialphasehasprimarilyfocusedonthetechnologydevelopmentinasystematicandstructuredmanner,whichhasresultedinestablishmentofstrongengineering,manufacturingandconstructionbase. Thenuclearpowerprogramstartedwiththesettingupoftwounitsofboilinglightwatertypereactorsin1969forspeedyestablishmentofnucleartechnology,safetyculture,anddevelopmentofoperationandmaintenancemanpower.Themainaimatthatstagewastodemonstrate(toourselves,andindeedtotherestoftheworld)thatIndia,inspiteofbeingadevelopingcountry,withlimitedindustrialinfrastructureandlowcapacitypowergrids,couldsuccessfullyassimilatethehightechnologyinvolvedinthesafeandeconomicaloperationofnuclearpowerreactors.TheselectionofaBWRwasincontrasttothepressurizedheavywaterreactors(PHWR),whichwasidentifiedastheflagshipforthefirststageofIndiaʹsnuclearpowerprogram.Thelong-termprograminthreestagesutilizeslargereservesofthoriuminthemonazitesandsofKeralabeachesinthethirdstagewithfirststagecomprisingofseriesofPHWRtypeplantswithabaseof10,000MW.Indiahasatpresent14reactorsinoperation12ofthesebeingofPHWRtype. Theperformanceofoperatingunitsof2720MWhasimprovedsignificantlywithanoverallcapacityfactorofabout90%inrecenttimes. Theconstructionworkoneightreactorunitswithinstalledcapacityof3960MW(twoPHWRsof540MWeach,fourPHWRsof220MWeachandtwoVVERsof1000MWeach)isproceedingonarapidpacewithprojectschedulesoflessthan5yearsfromfirstpourofconcrete.Thisisbeingachievedthroughadvancedconstructiontechnologyandmanagement.Presenteffortsarefocusedonfurtherreductionofgestationperiod.Thisisincontrasttoconstructionperiodof7–14yearsintheearlierprojectswithlabourintensiveconstructionmethods,learningperiodandindigenisation.Thescheduleandcostareinterrelatedandultimatelydeterminetheviabilityandcompetitiveedgeofaproject.Withrichexperienceofover30yearsofoperationandconstructionmanagementitiswellestablishedthatsettingupofnuclearpowerprojectsinIndiain4–5yearsisquitefeasiblebecauseoftremendousdevelopmentsinconstructiontechnology;mechanization,parallelcivilworksandequipmenterection,computerizedprojectmonitoringandaccountingsystems.Byconsideringthebestachievedtimesforthecriticalpathactivitiesofpreviousandongoingprojects,evena4-yearscheduleisachievable.Fornuclearpowertobecompetitiveitisessentialthatthegestationperiodisreducedandthecapacityutilizationenhanced.BothofthesearethegoalsoftheIndiannuclearpowerprogram.PresentlytheovernightcostperkWinstalledcapacityisintherangeofUS$1100–1300withlevellisedtariffof5c/kWh.