Russia Supplies Key Components for Kudankulam Plant

NEW DELHI: Russia’s state-run nuclear energy corporation Rosatom has shipped the most essential equipment for Tamil Nadu-based Kudankulam nuclear power plant’s unit-4 from St Petersburg. In another development, Rosatom’s fuel division TVEL has completed the contract for supply of fuel pellets for Maharashtra-based Tarapur nuclear plant. Rosatom is the main equipment and fuel supplier for India’s nuclear plants.

The reactor pressure vessel and core melt localisation device (called core catcher or CLMD) have been shipped in a cargo vessel from St Petersburg and the shipment will travel 1,500km to reach India in January, according to a Rosatom release.

“In spite of inherent difficulties due to pressure under which the port is operating at the end of the year, we fulfilled our obligations towards the customer and shipped the necessary equipment,” said Alexander Kvasha, first deputy director for projects in India at ASE, engineering division of Rosatom.
The core catcher, the reactor vessel with internals and steam generators are the most essential equipment, critical for the construction of the reactor. It was 13th shipment for the TN plants unit-4. CMLD is installed at the bottom of the plants’ protective shell.

It is designed to localise and cool the molten core material in case of an accident that could lead to damage to the core. The “core catcher” allows the integrity of the protective shell to be preserved and thus excludes radioactive emission in the environment, even if the hypothetical accident is serious.

The Petrozavodsk branch of Rosatom’s AEM-technology has already completed manufacturing of valves for units 3 & 4. Valves are designed to stop, allow or throttle the flow of a process fluid.
In another development, Rosatom’s fuel division TVEL has completed the contract for supply of fuel pellets to India for Tarapur Nuclear Power Plant.

“Rosatom fuel division is capable of producing nuclear fuel components for all basic types of operational nuclear reactors. TVEL has a long-time successful track record of fuel pellets supplies to India for reactors of non-Russian design, such as BWR and PHWR, which is evidence that our market offer is competitive and viable both technically and commercially. Should the Indian partners be interested, we are committed to accomplishment of similar contracts, as well as new projects in nuclear fuel cycle”, commented Oleg Grigoriyev, Senior Vice President for Commerce and International Business at TVEL.
TVEL also provides shipments of fuel assemblies for Russian-made VVER reactors at the two operating units of the Kudankulam under the long-term contract with NPCIL. Tarapur in Palghar district is the first commercial nuclear power plant in India commissioned in 1969.

Source:ToI

Image Courtesy:Rosatom