Secretary, DAE & Chairman, AEC visits Tarapur Atomic Power Station, Commends the continuing legacy of world’s oldest running power reactors

1. At a Glance

TAPS Units 1 & 2 — twin 160 MWe Boiling Water Reactors (BWR) at Tarapur, Maharashtra; commissioned 1969; currently the world's oldest operating commercial nuclear power reactors and Asia's first commercial nuclear power units [S1][S2].
Dr. Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Secretary DAE & Chairman AEC, visited TAPS on 17 June 2026 to review the AERB-approved life extension and commend NPCIL's role in the Nuclear Energy Mission [S3].
Examined for GS-III (Science & Tech / Energy Security) and Prelims (atomic energy institutions, reactor types).

On 17 June 2026, the Secretary, DAE & Chairman, AEC visited the Tarapur site after AERB granted continued-operation approval to TAPS-1&2 [S3].
AERB had on 7 May 2026 approved restart and continued operation of TAPS-2 for a further 10 years following major refurbishment by NPCIL [S2].
Marks India's transition from technology acquisition to technological self-reliance under the Viksit Bharat framing [S3].

1963 — Indo-US 123-style agreement; General Electric (USA) contracted to build TAPS on turnkey basis [S1].
October 1969 — TAPS-1 & TAPS-2 commenced commercial operation; first nuclear electricity in India [S1].
Originally fuelled by enriched uranium (LEU); later operated with MOX (mixed oxide) fuel after US fuel-supply disruption post-1974 [S1].
Subsequent expansion: TAPS-3 & 4 — 540 MWe indigenous PHWRs added (commissioned 2005–06) [S1].
2026 — major refurbishment with indigenous upgrades, enabling ~10 more years of operation [S2][S3].

Location: Tarapur, Palghar district, Maharashtra.
Operator: Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) — PSU under DAE [S3].
Regulator: Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), constituted 1983 under Atomic Energy Act, 1962 [S2].
Parent department: Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) — directly under the Prime Minister (not a Cabinet Ministry).
Apex policy body: Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), est. 1948; Chairman is ex-officio Secretary, DAE [S3].
Reactor type (TAPS 1&2): Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) — Light Water Reactor family.
Capacity: 2 × 160 MWe (derated from original 210 MWe) [S2].
Enabling statute: Atomic Energy Act, 1962.
Key refurbishment upgrades: replacement of reactor coolant recirculation piping with corrosion-resistant stainless steel; commissioning of Containment Filtered Venting System (CFVS) and Alternate Cooling Water System (ACWS) [S2].

Scientific / Technological
Demonstrates indigenous capability to refurbish a foreign-supplied BWR without OEM (GE) support — significant given India's non-NPT status [S2].
CFVS is a post-Fukushima safety upgrade; ACWS is a passive cooling redundancy [S2].
Strategic / Geopolitical
India is outside NPT; TAPS-1&2 are under IAEA safeguards (pre-1974 facility). Continued operation maintains safeguarded-fuel cycle credibility relevant for NSG engagement.
Aligns with India's goal of 100 GWe nuclear by 2047 as articulated in the Nuclear Energy Mission [S3].
Economic / Energy Security
Life-extension defers capex of decommissioning + new build; nuclear share remains <3% of installed capacity but ~3% of generation.
Environmental
Avoids ~ tonnes of CO₂ vs coal baseload; supports net-zero by 2070 commitment under UNFCCC.
Administrative / Regulatory
AERB's periodic safety review model — 10-year licence renewals — illustrates risk-based Indian regulatory practice [S2].

7 May 2026 — AERB approves restart of TAPS-2 for further 10 years post-refurbishment [S2].
17 June 2026 — Secretary DAE/Chairman AEC Dr. Ajit Kumar Mohanty visits TAPS; commends NPCIL [S3].
2025–26 DAE Year-End Review — refurbishment of TAPS-1&2 highlighted as a self-reliance milestone [S4].
Parallel indigenous milestones: 700 MWe PHWR at Rawatbhata (RAPP-7) reached full power; KAPP-4 criticality [S5].

TAPS-1 & 2 commissioned in 1969 — Asia's first commercial nuclear power units [S1].
TAPS-1 & 2 are currently the world's oldest operating commercial reactors [S1][S2].
TAPS-1 & 2 are Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs) — supplied by General Electric, USA [S1].
Current rated capacity 2 × 160 MWe [S2].
TAPS-3 & 4 are indigenous 540 MWe PHWRs (not BWRs).
NPCIL is the operator; AERB is the regulator [S2][S3].
Atomic Energy Commission created in 1948; DAE in 1954, both under the PM.
Atomic Energy Act, 1962 is the enabling statute.
AERB approval for TAPS-2 restart granted on 7 May 2026 for 10 more years of operation [S2].
Refurbishment introduced Containment Filtered Venting System (CFVS) — a post-Fukushima (2011) safety feature [S2].
Secretary DAE & Chairman AEC (2026): Dr. Ajit Kumar Mohanty [S3].
TAPS located in Palghar district, Maharashtra.

GS-III: Science & Tech – Indigenisation; Energy security; Infrastructure – Energy.
GS-II (peripheral): Important International Institutions – IAEA, NSG.
Possible question stems: 1. "India's civil nuclear programme reflects a journey from technology acquisition to self-reliance." Examine in light of TAPS-1&2 refurbishment. 2. Discuss the role of AERB in ensuring safety of ageing nuclear reactors in India. 3. Evaluate the contribution of nuclear power to India's net-zero 2070 pathway.

Three-Stage Nuclear Programme of Homi Bhabha — context for PHWR–FBR–Thorium roadmap.
NPCIL, BHAVINI, IREL, NFC — DAE-family PSUs and units.
Atomic Energy Act, 1962 & Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010 — legal regime.
India–IAEA Safeguards Agreement (2008) & NSG waiver — international civil nuclear linkages.
Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) — Budget 2025 Nuclear Energy Mission announcement.
Bharat Small Reactor (BSR) — 220 MW PHWR derivative.
Kudankulam (VVER), Kakrapar (PHWR-700) — comparator stations.
Fukushima Daiichi accident (2011) — driver of CFVS/ACWS retrofits.

TAPS-1&2 are BWRs (Light Water) — not PHWRs; only TAPS-3&4 are PHWRs.
DAE reports to the Prime Minister directly, not to MoP or any Cabinet Ministry.
AERB is the regulator; AEC is the policy body; NPCIL is the operator — do not conflate.
TAPS was supplied by General Electric (USA), not Westinghouse or a Russian agency.
Indian nuclear capacity additions in 2025-26 (e.g., RAPP-7, KAPP-4) are PHWR-700, distinct from TAPS-1&2's BWR-160.

[S1] India's Atomic Energy Programme — https://www.pib.gov.in/newsite/printrelease.aspx?relid=170047 — (tier: 1)
[S2] AERB approves restart and continued operation of Unit 2 of Tarapur Atomic Power Station after major refurbishment (PRID 2259921/2259981) — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2259921 — (tier: 1)
[S3] Secretary, DAE & Chairman, AEC visits Tarapur Atomic Power Station (PRID 2274057) — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2274057 — (tier: 1)
[S4] Department of Atomic Energy Year End Review 2025 (PRID 2201302) — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2201302 — (tier: 1)
[S5] NPCIL's Indigenous 700 MW PHWR at Rawatbhata reaches full power (PRID 2226649) — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2226649 — (tier: 1)