Russia's reactor pressure vessel installed at unit 5 of Kudankulam N-plant

Russian Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom has said the reactor pressure vessel for unit-5 of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) in Tamil Nadu was installed on June 15, marking another significant milestone in its construction process.“The operation was carried out using the Open Top method, in which equipment is installed into the reactor building using a heavy-duty crane before the dome is erected. This method was previously practised by the Russian-Indian team during the second phase of construction at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant,” a statement from Rosatom said.The equipment was manufactured at Atommash plant, part of the machine-building division of Rosatom State Corporation, in Volgodonsk (Rostov Region).

The reactor vessel weighs 300 tonnes and was delivered at Kudankulam construction site in 2025.With the reactor vessel installed, installation of the main equipment of the plant -- steam generators, main circulation pumps, main circulation pipeline units, pressure compensator and tanks for the emergency core cooling system -- will begin. “The secret to the success of the Kudankulam project is the long-standing and fruitful cooperation between India and Russia.

Indian specialists are constructing and commissioning four power units based on the Russian design, while two more power units have already been generating electricity for over 10 years. All this speaks to excellent teamwork aimed at strengthening the partnership between the two countries,” said Mikhail Novikov, director of projects in India at ASE JSC.Once all six units are operational, Kudankulam nuclear plant will provide a significant share of the electricity needs of Tamil Nadu as well as other states, where power will be allocated in accordance with the southern grid of Indian guidelines.