Russia ships 6th nuclear reactor for Kudankulam plant at Tamil Nadu

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.