Rosatom completes equipment supply for 3rd Kudankulam power plant

Chennai, Aug 19 (IANS) Russia's Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation on Monday said it has completed supply of main equipment for the third 1,000 MW nuclear power plant being built in Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu.

Rosatom is the main equipment supplier and technical consultant for the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP).

In a statement, Rosatom said the shipment consisting of the molten core catcher, embedded parts of the reactor pit, dry protection, heat-insulation of the cylindrical shell/barrel, truss buckstay and reactor vessel had been completed.

According to Andrey Lebedev, Vice-President for projects in India of ASE, the Engineering Division of Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation, all main equipment items located within the red line of the reactor pit installation have been supplied.

"Taking into account that four steam generators, a pressuriser, main coolant pipelines and a bubbler were delivered earlier, ASE has mostly completed procurement of the containment equipment for the third unit to ensure uninterrupted and continuous operations for the plant construction, which is on a critical path," Lebedev said.

It is learnt, two steam generators for Unit-4 have been received in India. A thrust truss and devices for neutron flux monitoring chambers allocation are expected to be delivered by the next shipload, Rosatom said.

India and Russia have signed agreements to build six 1,000 MW nuclear power plants in Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu's Tirunelveli district. The first two units have been completed and commercial generation of power has started.

The construction of third and fourth units is in progress. While commercial power supply from Unit-3 is expected by March 2023, and from Unit-4 by November 2023.

The contracts for construction of Unit-5 and Unit-6 have been signed and the preparatory work is in progress.