Construction of India's largest nuclear power plant commences in Tamil Nadu

New Delhi: Construction of Units 5 & 6 of India’s Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNP) located in Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli district commenced on Tuesday (June 29). 

The First Pour of Concrete (FPC), which was performed, marks an important milestone in a nuclear power project and is reckoned as the start date of the project. 

Prior to the FPC, continuous preliminary work such as concrete bedding for foundations of the reactor building, auxiliary reactor building with the Main Control Room, among others was carried out. 

India’s largest nuclear power generation facility, KKNP comprises six units of Light Water Reactors (VVERs), each of 1000 MW capacity. 

Set up in technical cooperation with the Russian Federation, the reactors at Kudankulam are state-of-the-art in terms of safety. They incorporate a combination of advanced, multilayered safety features ensuring the highest level of safety of the plant, public and environment.

Being implemented in three phases of 2x1000MW each, units 1&2 are operational, whereas 3&4 are at about 50% into the construction. 

The construction of Units 5 & 6 are expected to be completed in 66 and 75 months respectively. The completion of all these projects over the coming years will provide 6000MW clean energy to the country. 

The event was launched in virtual mode by KN Vyas, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission & Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy, in the presence of Dr. Alexey Likhachev, Director General of ROSATOM and SK Sharma, Chairman & Managing Director of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited. 

Senior officials of the units of Department of Atomic Energy, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited and M/s Larsen & Toubro were also present on the occasion.

“For many years the Kudankulam NPP construction project has been a symbol of close cooperation between Russia and India. However, we do not want to stop at what had already been achieved. Rosatom has all the most advanced nuclear power technologies. Together with our Indian colleagues we are ready to launch the serial construction of the state-of-the-art Generation III+ Russian-designed nuclear power units at a new site in India. It is stipulated by the existing agreements,” Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev stated during the ceremony.

Russian Ambassador to India, H.E. Mr Nikolay Kudashev said, “1st pour of concrete at the construction site of the 5th nuclear reactor of Kudankulam NPP, which happened today, is one of significant moments in the Russian-Indian nuclear energy cooperation. It demonstrates our firm devotion to achieve success in all bilateral undertakings.”