CHENNAI, Dec 30 : Russia’s integrated nuclear power major Rosatom today said its Nuclear Fuel Division (managed by TVEL JSC) has supplied nuclear fuel for the initial loading of the VVER-1000 reactor core at Unit 3 of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in India.
The fuel, including the initial reactor loading and some reserve assemblies, was manufactured by the Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant (a facility of Rosatom’s Nuclear Fuel Division).
The shipment is provided under the contract covering full lifetime fuel supply for Units 3 and 4 from their onwards. The delivery was carried out under the contract for fuel supply of power units of the second stage of the Kudankulam NPP No. 3 and No. 4 for their entire service life starting from the initial loading.
During the operation of the two power units of the first phase of the Kudankulam NPP, Russian and Indian engineers have done considerable amount of work to increase their efficiency through the introduction of advanced nuclear fuel and extended fuel cycles.
Starting from 2022, the Kudankulam NPP is supplied with nuclear fuel of the TVS-2M model. It provides more reliable and cost-effective reactor operation due to its rigid design, a new generation anti-debris filter and an increased mass of uranium.
Its introduction has also enabled elongation of the fuel cycle of the reactors from 12 to 18 months, so the power units are being stopped less frequently for fuel re-load and generate more electricity.
The facilities of the second stage of the Kudankulam NPP will become the first in history VVER-1000 power units to be launched already in an 18-month fuel cycle.
This is the result of successful cooperation in recent years between Rosatom’s Nuclear Fuel Division and Indian partners, as the efficient solutions that had been previously implemented at similar power plants in Russia and China were introduced at the two operational Kudankulam power units.
Throughout the entire operational life of nuclear power plants, Rosatom not only supplies nuclear fuel, but also provides engineering services, increasing the efficiency of power units introducing new fuel and fuel cycle solutions, the company said.
Kudankulam NPP in Tamil Nadu state in southern India involves the construction of six power units of VVER-1000 reactors with an installed capacity of 6000 MW.
The first stage, consisting of power units No. 1 and No. 2, was commissioned in 2013 and 2017, respectively. Power units No. 3, 4 and No. 5, 6 are the second and third stages of the Kudankulam NPP. Currently, power units 3,4,5,6 are under construction.
The plants belong to India’s nuclear power plant operator Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd.
(UNI)
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