Construction of Generation III VVER unit began in 2017

There are four Russia-supplied VVER- V-412 units under construction at Kudankulam. Courtesy Atomstroyexport.

Welding of the main circulation pipeline has been completed at the Russia-supplied Kudankulam-3 nuclear power plant under construction in in Tamil Nadu, southern India, Atomstroyexport, the engineering division of Russia’s state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom said.

Atomstroyexport said welding of the main circulation pipeline is one of the most complex and critical stages of construction and installation work at a power unit. The welding work began in December 2022.

The main circulation pipeline connects the major equipment of a nuclear power plant – reactor, steam generators, reactor coolant pumps – and is a part of the primary circuit of a nuclear power plant.

Work is now scheduled to begin on various hydraulic tests and flushing of the primary circuit.

Construction of the Generation III Kudankulam-3, a VVER- V-412, 917-MW pressurised water reactor, began in June 2017.

There are three other units of the same design under construction at the site. Kudankulam-4 was started in 2017 and Kudankulam-5 and -6 in December 2021.

Kudankulam-1 and -2, also both VVER V-412 units, have been in commercial operation since December 2014 and March 2017 respectively.

Date: Wednesday, 09 August 2023
Original article: nucnet.org/news/russia-s-atomstroyexport-completes-welding-of-main-circulation-pipeline-8-2-2023