AERB Clears Restart of Tarapur Unit-2 After Major Refurbishment and Safety Upgrade

India’s nuclear power programme has reached an important operational milestone, with the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board approving the restart and continued operation of Unit-2 of the Tarapur Atomic Power Station in Maharashtra after a major refurbishment carried out by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited. The approval was issued on 7 May 2026, after AERB completed a detailed safety review of the refurbishment, inspection results and upgraded systems.

Tarapur Unit-2 is part of the historic TAPS Units 1 and 2, India’s first nuclear power reactors based on the Boiling Water Reactor design. Both units began commercial operation in 1969, making them among the oldest operating commercial nuclear power units in Asia. The restart clearance is therefore significant not only as a technical achievement, but also as a demonstration of India’s ability to extend the life of legacy nuclear assets through modern safety upgrades and strict regulatory review.

The refurbishment of Unit-2 involved the complete replacement of the reactor coolant recirculation piping with forged piping and fittings made of advanced corrosion-resistant stainless steel. This is a major intervention because the recirculation system is central to the safe and stable functioning of a boiling water reactor. Alongside this, important safety upgrades were also commissioned, including the Reactor Containment Filtered Venting System and the Alternate Cooling Water System, both of which strengthen the plant’s ability to manage emergency and abnormal operating situations.

AERB also reviewed the ageing condition of key reactor components during the outage. Inspections were carried out on critical areas such as the reactor pressure vessel welds, and the assessments showed that the reactor can continue safe operation under the normal maintenance and surveillance programme. This ageing-management review was crucial because Unit-2 belongs to India’s earliest generation of nuclear power reactors, where continued operation depends on the proven integrity of major components.

The regulatory process was not a simple administrative approval. AERB said it reviewed the refurbishment results, safety upgrades and inspection assessments through its multi-tiered safety review process. The Board of AERB considered the matter on 6 May 2026 and agreed to permit the restart and operation of Unit-2 for a further period of 10 years. The formal permission was then issued the next day.

The decision follows a similar path taken for Tarapur Unit-1, which had also undergone major refurbishment and regulatory review before AERB permitted its restart at the end of December 2025. Unit-1 is currently operating at its rated power of 160 MWe. With Unit-2 now cleared for restart, the two oldest units at Tarapur are set to regain operational relevance after extensive life-extension work.

The development is important for India’s wider clean-energy strategy. Nuclear power provides firm, low-carbon electricity that can support grid stability alongside the expansion of solar, wind and other renewable sources. By safely extending the life of older nuclear units through replacement of critical systems, modern emergency safeguards and rigorous regulatory review, India is strengthening an energy asset that has already served the country for more than five decades.

Located at Tarapur near Boisar in Maharashtra’s Palghar district, the station remains one of the landmark sites in India’s atomic energy journey. The latest AERB clearance shows that legacy nuclear plants can continue contributing to India’s power system when backed by modern engineering, disciplined ageing management and sustained regulatory oversight.