Rosatom has shipped a VVER-1000 reactor vessel for Unit 6 of the Russian-designed Kudankulam NPP, which is currently under construction in India. In accordance with the production schedule, a set of four steam generators for Unit 6 at Kudankulam NPP will be shipped in 2025.
The reactor vessel is a main component of a nuclear power plant and contains the reactor core, the coolant, the neutron reflector, thermal shielding, control rods, and other internal structures.
“Despite our strong position in the nuclear world, we remain committed to continuous development. We are actively improving equipment design to guarantee the highest level of safety and enhancing the economic efficiency of our products. At present, we are working on a new NPP reactor unit with increased capacity and advanced operational characteristics. This new unit will also feature improved technical and economic performance,” noted Valery Kryzhanovsky, General Designer of Rosatom subsidiary experimental design bureau OKB GIDROPRESS JSC.
The Kudankulam NPP is the largest nuclear power plant in India and a flagship project of the India-Russia collaboration in the field of technology and energy, which consists of six power units. Units 1 and 2 were connected to the Indian national grid in 2013 and 2016, respectively, and are now providing energy to the southern region of India. Currently, the construction and installation of Units 3 and 4 are nearing completion, and the construction of two power units (Units 5 and 6) within the third stage has commenced.
Once all six units are operational, the Kudankulam NPP will meet 50% of the electricity needs of Tamil Nadu, a state with a population of 72 million, and a third of the needs of the neighbouring states of Karnataka, Kerala, and the union territory of Puducherry (the combined population of these regions is approximately 100 million).
During the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Russia in July 2024, it was announced that Rosatom has proposed several new projects, including the construction of six more units and small modular reactors (SMRs).
Small modular reactors are also seen as a suitable solution for countries with limited power grids, including those on the African continent. Rosatom is presenting innovative solutions in this area, such as floating power units, which, together with land-based SMRs, could provide a cost-effective, easily scalable, and rapidly deployable option to meet Africa’s growing energy needs. In this way, the implementation of innovative nuclear technologies can support the region’s transition to clean and sustainable energy resources.
In November 2024, Rosatom also made progress in the construction of its other flagship project in Africa – the first NPP in Egypt, El-Dabaa – by starting the installation of the core catcher of Unit 4. The core catcher is part of the passive safety system, designed to prevent the release of radioactive substances into the environment in the event of a severe accident accompanied by the destruction of the reactor vessel. El-Dabaa will consist of four power units, each with a capacity of 1200 MW, featuring pressurised water reactors of the Russian class VVER-1200.
