Chennai, Sep 20 (IANS): Power generation at the first 1,000 MW unit at Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) is stable with the unit restarting generation Sep 15, said officials.

Ever since the unit resumed operations after maintenance shutdown, the generation is stable, an official of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL), speaking on the condition of anonymity, told IANS.

According to officials, generation in the first unit went over 800 MW Saturday.

On Sep 17, the average generation was 738 MW with power generation peaking that day at 847 MW according to Power System Operation Corporation Ltd (PSOC).

The next day, the average generation was 752 MW (days peak 835 MW) and on Sep 19, the average generation was 694 MW and the day's peak generation was 837 MW.

However suspense continues on the unit starting power generation on commercial basis.

India's atomic power plant operator NPCIL is setting up two 1,000 MW Russian reactors at Kudankulam in Tirunelveli district, 650 km from here. The total outlay for the project is over Rs.17,000 crore.

The KNPP is India's first pressurised water reactor belonging to the light water reactor category.

The first unit attained criticality July 2013, which is the beginning of the fission process.