Milestone for nuclear sector: NPCIL starts geotechnical investigation for 2 more projects in Rajasthan

Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) commenced geotechnical investigations at the RAPP-9&10 project site in Rawatbhata, Rajasthan. It marks a critical milestone in the foundational development phase of the project as India looks at creating a standardised reactor fleet that can be replicated more efficiently at multiple locations.

Being an important early-stage activity, this comprehensive site assessment forms the technical baseline for all future civil and foundation engineering.

The 700 MWe PHWR design is part of India's effort to standardise reactor technology and deploy it in a fleet-mode approach, allowing multiple reactors based on the same design to be built and operated.

NPCIL has also started initial fuel loading at RAPP-8, a 700 MWe Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan and is expected to begin commercial operation this financial year.

RAPP-8 is the fourth reactor in a series of 16 indigenous 700 MWe PHWRs being established across the country.

What does this mean?

The specialised teams will conduct borehole drilling, geophysical surveys, and rigorous laboratory testing to evaluate the site's soil and rock strata. This will provide essential engineering inputs for civil structures, which in turn would ensure structural stability, safety, and operational reliability of the project, paving the way for the next phase of India's nuclear energy expansion.

With systematic site assessment, sound engineering practices and rigorous technical evaluation at every stage, NPCIL continues to advance the development of India’s nuclear power programme with a steadfast focus on safety, quality and reliability.

The reactors use India's established PHWR technology, which has been developed domestically over several decades. RAPP-8 is being developed alongside RAPP-7 at the Rawatbhata site.

The first two reactors in this series, KAPS-3 and KAPS-4 at Kakrapar, Gujarat, commenced commercial operation in 2023-24, followed by RAPP-7 in April 2025. These indigenous reactors incorporate advanced safety features.

The commencement of Initial Fuel Loading at the fourth indigenous PHWR-700 MWe represents an important achievement for NPCIL and various constituent units of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).