Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project

April 10, 2023

The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) is India’s largest nuclear power plant located in Kudankulam, Tamil Nadu. The plant was built in collaboration with Russia’s Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation and was constructed in two phases. The first phase involved the construction of Units 1 and 2, which started generating power on December 31, 2014. The second phase involves the construction of four additional reactors, which are currently under construction. Recently, a pressuriser was delivered for Reactor 5 of this power plant by AEM-Technologies Izhora, which is part of the machine-building division of Rosatom – Atomenergomash.

The Pressuriser in Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project

The pressuriser is an important component of a nuclear power plant that is responsible for creating and maintaining pressure and coolant volume in the reactor. In the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project, the pressuriser plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety and efficiency of the plant. The pressuriser used in Kudankulam was manufactured by the Italian company, Walter Tosto. It traveled 17,000 km via sea to reach the Kudankulam site.

VVER: Water-Water Energy Reactor

The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project uses the VVER (Water-Water Energy Reactor) technology, which is a pressurized water reactor design developed in the former Soviet Union. The VVER technology is one of the most widely used reactor designs in the world and is known for its safety and reliability.

Power Generation Capacity and Additional Reactors

The current power generation capacity of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project is 2×1,000 MWe VVER. However, with the construction of four additional reactors, the total capacity is expected to increase significantly. The cost of constructing the four additional reactors is estimated to be ₹89,470 crore.

Allocation of Power and Expected Completion Date

The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project is expected to allocate 50% of the power generated to the state of Tamil Nadu. The construction of Units 3 and 4 is underway, and they are expected to be completed by May 2025 and December 2025, respectively.

IAEA Safety Analysis

All units of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project are open to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safety analysts. However, the Kalpakkam nuclear plant is not open to IAEA analysis as it is reserved for strategic use under the India-US Nuclear Agreement.

Protests and Power Generation

The construction of Units 1 and 2 of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project was met with a big protest from the local people, which led to the suspension of work for some time. However, the units eventually started generating power in 2014. The current total generated power of Units 1 and 2 is 75,781 million units.

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