Russia ships 6th nuclear reactor for Kudankulam plant at Tamil Nadu
Energy
6 min read
The Russian government-owned company Rosatom has shipped the 6th and final unit of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant being set up in Kudankulam, Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu, on board a specialised ship. The construction of upcoming units of the Russian-assisted Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant was delayed due to the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict. The conflict caused logistical and ocean freight problems for importing components and equipment from Ukraine and Russia.
About the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant
In 1988 an agreement was signed between the government of India and the Soviet Union to construct a 6000 MW nuclear power plant in Kudankulam, Tamil Nadu.
The nuclear plant will be the largest nuclear power plant at a single location in the country.
The power plant consists of 6 units of 1000 MW capacity each.
In 1998 the agreement was updated between India and the successor state of the Soviet Union, Russia, which allowed India to keep the spent fuel of the nuclear reactor within India.
Three Phases of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant
The project is being constructed in three phases. In each phase two reactors of 1000 MW each will be constructed.
The first two reactors of phase one have become operational and the electricity generated is shared between Tamil Nadu and its neighbouring states according to the central government’s power distribution framework.
The state where the atomic power plant is situated gets 50 % of the power generated, its neighbouring states share 35% of the power, and 15% of the power is allocated to the national grid.
All six units will be constructed, maintained, and operated by the government of India-owned Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL).
The Russians are supplying the nuclear reactors and enriched uranium to be used as the fuel for the reactors.
The reactor uses a Russian Russian-developed Pressurised Water Reactor or VVER reactor.
The existing nuclear power plants in India use pressurised heavy water reactors or boiling water reactor technology.
Installed Nuclear Power plant in India
According to the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) in 2024 there were 24 operational nuclear reactors in the country with an installed capacity of 8080 MW.
The government has set a target to increase the power capacity to 22480 MW by 2031-32.
Asia’s first research nuclear reactor ‘Apsara’ became operational at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre’s Trombay campus in Mumbai and it was closed in 2009.
The nuclear reactors are operated by the government-owned Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCI).
The first nuclear power plant to become operational in India was established at Tarapur, Maharashtra in 1969.
Following is the list of the operational nuclear reactors in India.
|
Nuclear Power Plant |
Location/State |
Reactor Type |
Installed Capacity |
Total installed Capacity |
Date of commencement of the first unit |
|
Tarapur Atomic Power Station (TAPS) |
Tarapur, Thane District Maharashtra |
-Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) -Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor(PHWR) |
2x160 MW 2X 540 MW |
1400 MW |
28 October 1969 |
|
Rajasthan Atomic Power Station (RAPS) |
Rawatbhata, Chittorgarh District, Rajasthan |
Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor(PHWR) |
1x0 MW 1X200 MW 4X220 MW |
1080 MW |
16 December 1973 |
|
Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS) |
Kalpakkam, Chennai District, Tamil Nadu |
Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor(PHWR) |
2X220 MW |
440 MW |
27 January 1984 |
|
Kaiga Atomic Power Station |
Kaiga/Karnataka |
Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor(PHWR) |
4x 220 MW |
880 MW |
16 November, 2000 |
|
Narora Atomic Power Station (NAPS) |
Narora, District. Bulandshahar, Uttar Pradesh |
Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor(PHWR) |
2X 220 MW |
440 MW |
1 January, 1991 |
|
Kakrapar Atomic Power Station (KAPS) |
Kakrapar, Surat District, Gujarat |
Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor(PHWR) |
2X 220 MW 2X700 MW |
1840 MW |
6 May 1993 |
|
Kudankulam Atomic Power Station (KAPS) |
Kudankulam, Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu |
Pressurised Heavy Reactor (PWR)/ VVER |
2X1000 MW |
2000 MW |
31 December 2014 |
|
Total |
24 Reactors |
8080 MW |
