India has begun initial fuel loading at RAPP-8, the fourth indigenous 700 MWe Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) at Rawatbhata, Rajasthan, marking a critical step in its nuclear expansion program. The reactor is expected to achieve commercial operation within this financial year after regulatory clearances and commissioning stages.

The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) confirmed that fuel loading at RAPP-8 commenced at 3:18 pm on 19 September 2026 following clearance from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.

This clearance was granted after rigorous safety evaluations, system integrity audits and site readiness reviews. The milestone represents the transition of the reactor from construction and system testing to the commissioning phase.

RAPP-8 is part of the Rajasthan Atomic Power Project Units 7 and 8, both designed as indigenous 700 MWe PHWRs. The next major milestone for Unit-8 will be the First Approach to Criticality, when a controlled nuclear fission chain reaction begins. This will be followed by phased power generation tests before the reactor enters commercial service.

The 700 MWe PHWR design is central to India’s fleet-mode deployment strategy. By standardising reactor technology, NPCIL aims to replicate construction, equipment and operational practices across multiple sites, thereby reducing costs and timelines. The design represents a significant scale-up from India’s earlier 220 MWe and 540 MWe PHWRs, reflecting decades of domestic nuclear engineering development.

RAPP-8 is the fourth reactor in the series of 16 indigenous 700 MWe PHWRs planned nationwide. The first two, Kakrapar Units 3 and 4 in Gujarat, entered commercial operation in 2023-24, while RAPP-7 followed in April 2025. The commissioning of successive units strengthens India’s nuclear program and supports its long-term energy security goals.

NPCIL currently operates 24 nuclear reactors with a combined installed capacity of 8.8 GWe. Another 17 reactors, totalling around 13 GWe, are under construction or implementation. The government has set a target of achieving 100 GWe of nuclear power capacity by 2047, with NPCIL expected to contribute more than half of this capacity.

Nuclear energy is increasingly being identified as a key component of India’s energy strategy. It provides continuous baseload electricity without producing carbon dioxide emissions during generation, complementing renewable sources such as solar and wind. As India faces rising electricity demand and seeks to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, projects like RAPP-8 are expected to play a vital role.

The start of fuel loading does not mean immediate electricity generation. The reactor must undergo commissioning, testing and regulatory approvals before commercial operation.

Typically, the process from fuel loading to commercial service takes six to eight months. NPCIL expects RAPP-8 to begin supplying electricity within the current financial year.

Meanwhile, geotechnical investigations for RAPP Units 9 and 10 have also commenced at Rawatbhata, marking the next phase of expansion at the site. These investigations assess soil and rock conditions to establish engineering baselines for future construction.

The commissioning of RAPP-8 reinforces India’s commitment to building a larger domestic nuclear fleet. By deploying standardised indigenous reactor designs in fleet mode, India aims to accelerate nuclear capacity addition, strengthen energy security and expand its share of low-carbon electricity.

Agencies