India has signed a joint statement with Russia takeover full operational control of Unit 1 of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP). It formally marks the full transition.
The agreement was signed between representatives of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) and the ASE Group of Companies, a subsidiary of ROSATOM State Atomic Energy Corporation of Russia.
Key Facts
- With the deal, the Russian and Indian sides have confirmed fulfilment of all warranty terms and obligations of the contractor (ASE Group of Companies) for the construction of Unit 1.
- The warranty period run showed reliable and safe operation of Unit 1. Thus, the NPCIL has confirmed that ASE Group of Companies, which is a general contractor, has fulfilled all its tasks in full and accurately.
- The commercial operation and the warranty period of Unit 1 of KKNPP had started in December 2014. The warranty was typically for one year, which ended in December 2015.
- However, the final takeover agreement was delayed to ensure the reliability of the plant and equipment as Unit I was the first of a series of six reactors.
- Earlier, in March 2017, both countries had signed joint protocol on provisional acceptance of Unit 2 of the plant, which marked the start of its commercial operation.
About Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP)
- KKNPP is the single largest nuclear power station in India. It is situated in Koodankulam in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu.
- It is scheduled to have six VVER-1000 reactors with an installed capacity of 6,000 MW of electricity. It has been built in collaboration with Atomstroyexport, the Russian state company and NPCIL.
- Unit 1 of the plant was synchronised with the southern power grid in October 2013 and is generating electricity to its warranted limit of 1000 MW.
- Unit 2 with capacity 1,000 MW had achieved first criticality in July 2016. It was grid-connected in August 2016 and its commercial operation started in October 2016.
- The ground-breaking ceremony for construction of units 3 & 4 was performed in February 2016. The power generated from the plant will provide electricity to Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala and Karnataka.