Russia assists major construction work in Kudankulam power plant despite global challenges

Russia's nuclear major ROSATOM, notwithstanding challenges associated with logistics and geo-political upheaval, following the Ukraine conflict, has been able to assist in major construction work at the third reactor (Unit 3) in the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (NPPP).

The reactor vessel was installed in design position at Kudankulam NPP Unit 3 in the recent past. The assembly of the reactor vessel is a milestone, which launches further activities for the assembly of the reactor equipment to expedite the construction of Unit 3, officials said. Units No 3, 4 and 5, 6 are the second and the third stages of Kudankulam NPP constructed with VVER-1000 reactor type of Russia.

The technology used for recent installation made it possible to significantly reduce the time period of the project implementation due to optimization and reduction of the duration and number of assembly operations, ET had learnt.


New power units of Kudankulam NPP comply with the latest safety requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Currently, units No. 1 and 2 of Kudandulam NPP are operating at the capacity established by the operation schedule.

Russia, after the annual Summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin on December 6, had started work on building the sixth reactor at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) in Tamil Nadu.
Russian nuclear engineering company Atommash has started manufacturing the nuclear reactor and steam generators for Unit No.6 at KNPP, ET had earlier reported.

Rosatom is providing the technology for the construction of the Kudankulam plant which is to have six units of 1,000 MWe capacity each.

India and Russia, during the Summit, also decided for a third country partnership, riding on the success of their involvement in Bangladesh’s sole nuclear power plant.

Following the contract for the fifth and the sixth power units of the KNPP, Russia will manufacture and supply two nuclear reactors with internals and an upper block, two sets of steam generators, reactor coolant pump set bodies, main circulation piping, emergency core cooling system tanks, passive core flooding system tanks and two pressurizers.

Last June, Russia began the construction of the fifth nuclear power unit at Kudankulam. KNPP is the largest nuclear power station in India.

During the annual Summit, Modi and Putin noted the significant progress achieved in the construction of the remaining nuclear power plant units at Kudankulam. “Both Sides noted the importance of continued further discussion on the second site in India; the Indian side will strive to finalise formal allotment of the second site in accordance with earlier signed agreements. They welcomed continuation of technical discussions on the VVER 1200 of the Russian design, joint manufacturing of equipment and localisation of components,” according to the joint statement issued after the Summit.