Mumbai, February 28 The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) has granted permission for the initial concrete pour (FPC) for the construction of units 5 and 6 of the Kaiga Nuclear Power Plant, it said in a statement on Saturday.
The permission was granted after satisfactory completion of the safety review of the design of the 2x700 MWe Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) units being established at the Kaiga nuclear power plant site, in accordance with the safety requirements specified by the AERB.
"The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) granted permission for the initial concrete pour (FPC) for the construction of units 5 and 6 of the Kaiga Nuclear Power Plant on February 24," the statement said.
This followed the established multi-tier review process of the regulatory body. "The AERB board, on February 23, after reviewing the outcome of the safety reviews, approved the FPC for these units," the statement said.
The initial concrete pour (FPC) signifies the commencement of construction of the nuclear power plant after the site excavation.
The 700 MWe Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors are of indigenous design, developed by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL), and incorporate many advanced safety features in line with the requirements specified by the AERB, which take into account the current IAEA safety standards.
The Kaiga Nuclear Power Plant site is in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, where four units of 220 MWe PHWRs are already operational.
The 700 MWe PHWRs at Kaiga 5 and 6 are of a similar design to units 3 and 4 of the Kakrapar Atomic Power Station (KAPS) in Gujarat, which were previously licensed by the AERB for regular operation in July 2025.
Two more 700 MWe PHWR units, Rajasthan Atomic Power Station -7 and 8, are currently undergoing commissioning at the Rawatbhata site in Rajasthan.
The AERB had previously permitted the operation of RAPS unit 7 up to 100 per cent power, for commissioning, on January 30.
Regarding the permission for the FPC, A. K. Balasubrahmanyan, Chairman of the AERB, said, "The AERB's permission for Kaiga 5 and 6 follows an extensive review to ensure compliance with safety and regulatory requirements, and paves the way for the construction of a nuclear power plant based on the approved design, safety analysis, and following the requisite quality assurance requirements."