India and Russia are working to conclude a INR 105bn ($1.2b) deal for the “supply by the Russian fuel company TVEL from 2025 to 2033 of the initial batches and the next five downloads for units 3&4 of the Kudankulam NPP in Tamil Nadu as well as a set of tools for controlling rods and fuel assemblies, “sources” told Times of India. In addition, the possibility is being considered of establishing a joint Russian-Indian enterprise with the participation of TVEL for the production of nuclear fuel for Indian NPPs.
Kudankulam NPP will comprise six units with VVER-1000 reactors. Work began following an intergovernmental agreement between India and Russia signed in 1988. Units 1&2 (Phase I) are already in operation and work is underway to build units 3-6 (Phases II and III). The customer and operator of the station is the National Power Company of India Ltd (NPCIL), the general contractor is JSC ASE JSC (Rosatom’s Engineering Division), general designer Atomenergoproject and equipment designer OKB Gidropress.
Units 1&2 began operation in 2016. The general framework agreement with Rosatom on the construction units 3&4 was signed in 2014 and, in 2017, the engineering division of Rosatom and NPCIL signed an agreement on the construction units 5&6. Work on units 5&6 began in 2021 and the NPP is expected to be operating at full capacity by 2027.
