Unit 1 of India’s Russian-designed Kudankulam nuclear power plant (a VVER-1000) resumed operation on 21 January after a period of preventive maintenance undertaken with participation of Russian nuclear experts.
The unit was loaded with nuclear fuel in preparation for the launch in early December. The relaunch was attended by Indian Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) and Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) experts, as well as Russian nuclear experts, according a plant statement.
Last year’s maintenance was performed after a year of successful operations starting late 2014. The unit reached full capacity in July 2014, and is currently India’s most powerful reactor with a maximum operating capacity of 1000MWe. Unit 2 is also set to enter into service within the coming months.
The construction of the Kudankulam nuclear plant was initially agreed by the Soviet Union and India in 1988, but the project was frozen until NPCIL and Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom relaunched the joint project in 2012.
