Kudankulam NPP to add 1,000 MW capacity next year with Unit 3 start-up: Rosatom

The third unit of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts (MW) is expected to commence operations by next year.

Kudankulam NPP project — India’s largest nuclear power plant — is the flagship project of Russian-Indian technological and energy cooperation. The first two units have been operating successfully, at overdesign capacity of 1020-1030 MWt (megawatt thermal), supplying electricity to the entire South Indian region. While the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) owns, operates, and builds the plant, Rosatom — primarily through its engineering subsidiaries such Atomstroyexport — handles key technical areas including nuclear steam supply system and core reactor technology

Kirill Komarov, the first deputy director general for corporate development and international business at Rosatom, told businessline: “Unit number three is very close to physical start-up. Maybe next year it can happen. Units 4, 5 and 6 are all in a very good construction phase, and at the end they will meet a significant share of the electricity needs of the State of Tamil Nadu —with a population of around 85 million — and neighbouring States with a combined population of over 100 million.”

Units 1 and 2 of the plant with cumulative capacity of 2,000 MW are operational. The project, located in Tirunelveli (Tamil Nadu) was conceived in 1988, and the construction began in 2002, The first two units became operational in December 2014 and March 2017, respectively.

As per the NPCIL, currently the manufacturing and progressive delivery of various equipment and components are in progress at unit 3. Civil construction work of main buildings like Reactor Building, Reactor Auxiliary Building, Turbine Building etc. and Hydro Technical structures, etc. are in progress. Erection of core catcher is completed.

“Since 2022, we have been supplying India with advanced nuclear fuel for Rosatom designed VVER-1000 reactors, enabling both operating units of the Kudankulam NPP to switch to an extended 18-month fuel cycle. The longer cycle will reduce the frequency of refuelling outages, enabling the units to generate more electricity and operate more cost-effectively,” Komarov explained.

He emphasised that India’s target of installing 100 gigawatt (GW) of nuclear powered capacity by 2047 is ambitious but achievable.

“Such an ambitious task is very difficult for only one company,” he said, referring to the NPCIL, which currently operates and is building most of India’s nuclear fleet.

Rosatom, he said, had already reached 50 per cent localisation at Kudankulam, and was ready to replicate the model with new Indian companies entering the nuclear sector.

Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy corporation Rosatom, which accounts for about 20 per cent of Russia’s power generation, ranks first globally in terms of the order portfolio size for constructing nuclear power plants (NPPs), with 46 units at various implementation stages across 10 countries, including China, India, Bangladesh, Türkiye, Egypt, Hungary, Iran, and Kazakhstan.

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