Chennai/Jaipur, Aug 2 : Nuclear fuel loading at the 700 MW plant at the Rajasthan Atomic Power Project has commenced, atomic power major Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) announced on Wednesday.

According to NPCIL, the fuel loading process began on Tuesday at the plant located in Rawatbhata in Rajasthan.

The Initial Fuel Loading process began after receiving permission from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) and on completion of all other requirements, NPCIL said.

The Initial Fuel Loading process will be followed by the First Approach to Criticality (start of nuclear fission for the first time) and subsequent power generation.

According to NPCIL, commercial production of power by Unit 7 will happen this year.

The atomic power major also said the other 700 MW plant (Unit 8) is expected to come on line next year.

NPCIL said Unit 7 at RAPP is the third in the series of 16 700 MW Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) being built in the country. The first two of the 700 MW PHWRs commenced commercial operations at Kakrapar (Units 3 and 4) in Gujarat in 2023-24, NPCIL said.

/IANS