Kudankulam Unit-5 Gets Reactor Vessel Installed

The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited completed the installation of the Reactor Pressure Vessel at Unit-5 of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project in Tamil Nadu. The 320-tonne vessel was installed after Major Equipment Erection clearance from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board on 2 May 2026.

Reactor Pressure Vessel

The Reactor Pressure Vessel is the main pressure boundary of a nuclear reactor. It contains the reactor core, where nuclear fission takes place in a controlled environment. In pressurised water reactor designs, the vessel also supports the reactor internals and coolant circulation systems.

Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project

The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project is located in Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu. The project is planned with six units, each of 1,000 MW capacity, and uses Russian-designed VVER-1000 technology. VVER stands for Water-Water Energetic Reactor, a pressurised water reactor design.

Open-top installation method

The reactor vessel was installed through the open-top method, in which heavy equipment is lowered into the reactor building before the containment dome is erected. This method is used for large nuclear components that require high-capacity cranes and precise alignment.

Important Facts for Exams

• The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board is India’s nuclear safety regulator under the Department of Atomic Energy.
• Rosatom is Russia’s state nuclear energy corporation.
• Atomstroyexport is Rosatom’s engineering division involved in nuclear power projects.
• When all six units of Kudankulam become operational, the installed capacity of the complex will be 6,000 MWe.

India’s nuclear capacity target

India has set a target of 100 GW of nuclear capacity by 2047. Kudankulam Unit-5 is part of India’s larger civil nuclear power programme and international cooperation with Russia in reactor construction.