Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (or Koodankulam NPP or KKNPP) is a nuclear power station in Koodankulam in the Tirunelveli district of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Construction on the plant began on 31 March 2002, but faced several delays due to the fishermen’s objection.
Details :
• Country : India
• Construction began : 31 March 2002
• Commission date : 22 October 2013
• Owner(s) : Nuclear Power Corporation of India
Here are the 10 facts about Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant
#1. The reactors at Kudankulam Nuclear Plant are India’s largest and has been built jointly by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India and a subsidiary of Russia’s nuclear regulatory body Rosatom.
#2. The two units of the Russian technology Kudankulam plant are made at an expense of over ₹ 22,000 crores and are 10 years behind schedule.
#3. The project was finalized by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and then Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev on 20 November 1988 but development began only in 1997 because of the turmoil after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
#4. The initial unit started out generating electricity in 2013. It generates around 1,000 MW of electricity, 50 % of which feeds Tamil Nadu.
#5. Nearby anti-nuclear activists call the center unsafe but plant technical engineers recommend it is among the safest in the world.
#6. Villagers in shoreline areas state that the Russian technology is defective and untested and the plant is just like a live bomb in their backyard which would destroy fishing.
#7. SP Udayakumar, the face of the anti-nuclear demonstrations, claims: “The first plant tripped 32 times in the last two years and is still limping along its way to credible power generation.
Video meeting appears to be the finest hi-tech option for the Russians and the Indian government to duck and dodge all types of disturbing questions.”
#8. The atomic reactor will deliver power to Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, and Karnataka. Four more related atomic reactors are predicted to come up at Kudankulam in future.
#9. The 2nd unit of the Kudankulam plant is also expected to generate 1,000mw.
#10. Additional construction for Unit 3 and 4 began in April 2016. Because of operators and suppliers need to ensure the two pursuing units, at ₹ 39,747 crore (US$5.91 billion), the cost of units 3 and 4 is twice the cost of units 1 and 2.
Allocation of power
Government of India announced the power allocation from the two units of the reactor on 29 August 2013.
| Beneficiary | Power (MW) |
|---|---|
| Tamil Nadu | 925 MW |
| Karnataka | 442 MW |
| Andhra Pradesh | 300 MW |
| Kerala | 266 MW |
| Puducherry | 67 MW |
| Total | 2,000 MW |
Tamil Nadu may get another 100 MW over its allocation.
10 Facts About Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant
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