Experience in the Manufacture and Performance of CANDU Fuel for KANUPP

Abstract

Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (KANUPP) a 137 MWe CANDU unit is in operation since 1971. Initially, it was fueled with Canadian fuel bundles. In July 1980 Pakistani manufactured fuel was introduced in the reactor core, irradiated to a burnup of about 7500 MWd-teU-1 and successfully discharged in May 1984. The core was progressively fuelled with Pakistani fuel and in August 1990 the reactor core contained all Pakistani made fuel. As of the present, 3 core equivalent Pakistani fuel bundles have been successfully discharged at an average burnup of 6500 MWd-teU-1 with a maximum burnup of ~10,200 MWd-teU-1. No fuel failure of Pakistani bundles has been observed so far. This paper presents the indigenous efforts towards manufacture and operational aspects of KANUPP fuel and compares its behaviour with that of Canadian supplied fuel. The Pakistani fuel has performed well and is as good as the Canadian fuel.