goingcritical:rajasthan-8India · Power reactor

Rajasthan-8 (RAPP-8)

Status: Fuel loaded ? Reactor status full glossary → Announced Publicly announced — a site and design are proposed, but construction has not begun. Site preparation Early site and civil works are under way; the first safety-related ("nuclear") concrete has not yet been poured. Under construction Formal construction has begun, marked by the first nuclear concrete. Fuel loaded Nuclear fuel has been loaded into the core. The reactor is fuelled but has not yet gone critical. Critical Has reached first criticality — a self-sustaining chain reaction, usually at low power — but is not yet connected to the grid. Grid connected Synchronised to the electrical grid and exporting power for the first time, but still in commissioning and power-ascension testing — not yet in commercial service. Operating In commercial operation — the operator has formally declared the unit in regular commercial service. Shut down Permanently shut down and no longer generating; may be defuelled, undergoing decommissioning, or preserved in place. Canceled Abandoned before completion.

Developer: Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL)

Site: Rawatbhata, Rajasthan

IndiaPakistanNepalKarachiDelhiMumbaiKolkataAhmedabadNasikAllahabad

Initial fuel loading began 15:18 IST on 19 September 2026 after AERB permission; first approach to criticality is the next step and NPCIL targets commercial operation within FY2026-27 (by March 2027). Sister unit Rajasthan-7 was grid-connected 17 March 2025.

Details

Design	IPHWR-700 (PHWR)
Electrical output	630 MWe

Milestone history

1. Announced —
2. Construction start September 2011
3. Fuel load September 19, 2026
4. First criticality —
5. Grid connection —
6. Commercial operation —