INDIA - KUDANKULAM NPP

Kudankulam NPP (India)

Kudankulam NPP with two VVER-1000 reactor plants of 2000 MW total capacity is the basic object of the Russian-Indian cooperation in the field of nuclear engineering. The construction of Kudankulam NPP in India is stipulated by the Agreement between the former USSR and the Republic of India dated November 20th, 1988, and also by the Supplement to this Agreement signed on June 21st, 1998.

In 2002 Atomstroyexport concluded the contract with the Nuclear Power Corporation of India for development of the working documentation for performance of the civil, erection and commissioning works, and also the contracts for manufacture and delivery of the equipment and materials for the reactor building, turbine hall and other NPP buildings and structures. Besides the contract for training of the Indian personnel in the Russian training centers and the contract for sending of the Russian experts for participation in the construction of Kudankulam NPP were signed. The civil, erection and commissioning works on the NPP site are performed by the Indian side.

The leading design organizations and the research centers of Russia participate in the works on Kudankulam NPP construction: the general designer – Moscow Institute "Atomenergoproject", the general designer of the reactor plant – OKB “Gidropress”, the scientific advisor – RNC “Kurchatov Institute”.

The important role in practical realization of this project is played by the companies "OMZ" and “Power Machines” being the largest manufacturers of the power equipment in Russia and including such known enterprises, as “Leningrad Metal Factory”, OAO “Izhora Works”, "Electrosila" plant, "Uralmash", etc.

In total more than 100 Russian enterprises participated in the project. The first group of the Russian experts started to work on the NPP construction site in October, 2002.

At Kudankulam NPP the Russian NPP design with the reactor of new generation is applied, which corresponds to the international requirements to nuclear NPPs put into operation after 2000. The project includes construction of two water-cooled water-moderated VVER-1000 power reactors using uranium dioxide as fuel and light water as coolant and moderator.

The NPP design developed by the Institute "Atomenergoproject" has the raised safety characteristics. The qualitative safety level increase is reached due to maximal use of the passive safety means:

- double containment of the reactor building;

- 8 additional accumulators for passive core flooding;

- 12 heat exchangers of the core passive residual heat removal system during the unlimited period of time without participation of operators;

- new passive system of quick boron injection for bringing the reactor into subcritical state.

For the hypothetical situation connected with core melting, the device for catching, cooling and localization of core melt is provided at Kudankulam NPP, which is located under the reactor pressure vessel.

Protection is also provided against natural and technogenic impacts:

- earthquakes;

- tsunami;

- hurricane;

- aircraft crash.

The main advantage of the NPP design with the reactor of new generation in comparison to the Russian designs of the previous generations is application of the advanced equipment and introduction of the additional passive safety systems in a combination with the traditional active systems, this enhancing reliability of Kudankulam NPP.

The Indian and Russian experts carry out constant monitoring of progress of performance of all works under the project, the results are considered at quarterly sessions of the Joint Coordination Committee.