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Fifth reactor at India's Kudankulam NPP to be launched in 2024, sixth — in 2025

Rosatom (Russian Atomic Energy State Corporation) hopes for closer cooperation with Indian companies on the Kudankulam project

Kudankulam NPP AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool

Kudankulam NPP

© AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool

ST. PETERSBURG, June 2. /TASS/. Commissioning of the fifth and sixth power units of the Indian Kudankulam nuclear power plant (NPP) is slated for 2024 and 2025, President of the Atomstroyexport (affiliated in Rosatom) Group of Companies Valery Limarenko told TASS on Friday, reaffirming that the agreement on the construction of these two reactors was signed on June 1 in the format of the SPIEF-2017.

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Russia, India preparing agreement on fifth, sixth units of Kudankulam NPP — Putin

"Overall generating capacity of the two reactors is up to 2 gigawatts. The fifth reactor will be commissioned in 2024, while the sixth reactor - in 2025," he said.

In his words, Rosatom (Russian Atomic Energy State Corporation) hopes for closer cooperation with Indian companies in the process of the third stage at the Kudankulam NPP.

Touching upon details, Limarenko said that the power units of the Kudankulam NPP's third stage differ from the previous ones by the localization of equipment in India. The project envisages the supplies of "the nuclear island" and turbine island with total worth about $4 bln.

All the Kudankulam NPP's reactors are identical under their design project, which is based on the Atomstroyexport's VVER-1000 project (water-cooled water-moderated nuclear power unit) with the capacity of 1000 megawatt and fully complies with the Russia, IAEA norm and rules and certified in compliance with the EUR (requirements of the European operators club).

The Kudankulam NPP construction is carried out in compliance with the Russian-Indian agreement of November 20, 1988, and addendum of June 21, 1998. Russia's Atomstroyexport is the general contractor, while Atomenergoproekt - general designer.

The first nuclear power unit of the Kudankulam NPP was commissioned with assistance of Russian specialists in 2013. The second unit was transferred to India in October 2016 and construction of the third and fourth power units began. The Russian-Indian atomic energy development cooperation envisions construction of 12 power units in India, including from 4 to 8 reactors at the Kudankulam site.

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