A milestone in Russian-Indian nuclear cooperation with the arrival of a reactor pressure vessel for the Kudankulam atomic power plant.
The 320 reactor pressure vessel for the sixth 1,000 MW atomic power plant in Kudankulam has reached Tuticorin port sailing about 6,000 miles from Novorossiysk port in Russia.
According to people in the know, the reactor pressure vessel will be mounted on a barge to be transported to Kudankulam where the atomic power plant is being built.
Russia's integrated nuclear power global major Rosatom State Corporation last month said it has shipped the reactor pressure vessel. Rosatom also said a set of four steam generators for the sixth unit will be shipped in 2025.
According to Rosatom, the reactor vessel was manufactured at the Atommash plant (Rosatom's Machine-Building Division) and shipped to the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL).
Currently, four new 1,000 MW nuclear power units -- 3,4,5 and 6 -- are being built at Kudankulam according to Russian design.
The power station is being designed, constructed and supplied with equipment subdivisions of Rosatom's engineering division.
The production cycle for manufacturing a VVER-1000 reactor vessel from the start of production is two years.
The manufacture of the equipment requires the highest level of precision and compliance with strict international quality standards. The overall quality plan includes 289 control points, Rosatom said.
Kudankulam will house the largest nuclear power plants in India and the flagship project of Russian-Indian technological and energy cooperation.
Construction of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant involves the construction of six power units with VVER-1000 reactors with a total installed capacity of 6,000 MW.
Units No. 1 and 2 were connected to the national grid of India in 2013 and 2016 and supply electricity to the southern Indian region.
Currently, construction and installation work on units 3 and 4 is nearing completion, and construction of two power units of the third stage (units No. 5 and 6) has begun, Rosatom had said.
Rosatom provides fuel to Kudankulam's power units throughout their entire life cycle.
According to NPCIL, civil works are in progress in Unit-5. The reactor pressure vessel and steam generators have been received at site.
Venkatachari Jagannathan can be reached at venkatacharijagannathan@gmail.com
Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com
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