Commissioning of Kudankulam Unit-3 to start in 2026: Rosatom Chief

Russian Nuclear Power Agency Rosatom's Chief Alexey Likhachevhas announced that Unit 3 of the Indo-Russian Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant(KKNPP) in the Southern Indian State of Tamil Nadu will begin commissioning operations in 2026. "Units 3 and 4 of Kudankulam NPP are at a high stage of readiness. Next year, we will begin commissioning operations directly at Unit 3. And year after year, we will put into operation Units 3, 4, 5, and 6 of the Kudankulam NPP," said Likachev, Director General of the Rosatom State Corporation. Likachev is a part of the delegation that is accompanying Russian President Putin on his State visit to India.

The update regarding operationalising Unit 3 follows Rosatom's announcement on Thursday, (Dec 4), that it has commenced delivery of Nuclear fuel for the upcoming Unit 3 of India's Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant(KKNPP) in Tamil Nadu. The Indo-Russian KKNPP is India's largest Nuclear power generation facility.

Of the KKNPP's six Russian-originVVER-1000 reactors, units 1 and 2 were connected to India’s national power grid in 2013 and 2016 respectively, and currently supply electricity to the southern regions of the country. Unit 3 is in the pre-commissioning phase, and Units 4,5,6 are in various stages of construction. Each of these reactors are capable of generating 1000Megawatts of power. When fully operational, KKNPP would generate about 6,000Megawatts of power. At present, KKNPP generates 2,000Megawatts, which is about one-fourth of India's total Nuclear power generating capacity.

Likachev noted that India is among the few nations, like Russia, that has an end-to-end competence in the Nuclear sector, ranging from Uranium mining and processing to decommissioning a Nuclear power plant. Tracing India's progress in Nuclear power generation since the 1960s, he said that India's first Nuclear power plants were primarily supplied by North America.

The nuclear reactors at India's Tarapur Atomic Power Station in Maharashtra, commissioned in 1969, were supplied by US firm General Electric. They are India's first nuclear reactors and the only reactors supplied directly by the West. Even the reactors at Rajasthan Atomic Power Station were designed with Canadian Assistance. These are the only two Nuclear projects in India with Western links.

"It must be said that at a certain stage the Indians faced limitations, first of all in fuel supplies and uranium products," Likachev said. He elaborated that the peaceful atom has been the key area of cooperation between Russia and India, since the start of the millennium.

Further, he noted that Units 1 & 2 of the KKNPP are already operating at full capacity, providing stable power supply. "It is important to emphasise that their output exceeds the nominal level - above the declared 1,000 Megawatt - and the Indians are very pleased with this."