Construction of Kudankulam nuclear plant units in Tamil Nadu begins

01 Jul 2021 CW Team

On Tuesday, construction work on units 5 and 6 of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant (KNPP) in Tamil Nadu began with the first concrete pouring into the foundation plate of the reactor building.

The project, to be achieved at an outlay of Rs 49,621 crore, was launched by K N Vyas, Atomic Energy Commission chairman and DAE secretary, in the presence of Alexey Likhachev, DG, RosatomGlobal and SK Sharma, Chairman and Director of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) through video-conference.

KNPP involves six units of light water reactors with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts each. It has been established in technical cooperation with the Russian Federation.

The project is being executed in three phases of 2x1000 MW each. The development of units 5 and 6 is anticipated to complete in 66 and 75 months, respectively. Construction of these two units will be implemented by Larsen and Toubro (L&T) Limited, which is involved in the ongoing construction of units 3 and 4 that are nearly half complete. On completion of all these projects, the six units will provide 6000MW of clean energy to the country in the latter half of 2027, making it the biggest power-producing complex in India.

Works to be conducted by L&T at Rs 2,305 crore comprise the construction of the reactor auxiliary, reactor, turbine and diesel generator buildings and safety structures.

While KNPP was reliant on Russia for every element used in the first two reactors (units 1 and 2), it is determined that about 36% of the components used in units 5 and 6 will be fabricated in India.

The chairman expressed confidence that the reactors at KNPP will place India among the frontrunners of nuclear energy-producing countries globally.

It will also make a significant contribution to the growth of Tamil Nadu, he added. He termed the construction of KNPP reactors a stellar example of Indo–Russian strategic cooperation, despite the Covid-19 pandemic.

Satish Kumar Sharma, Chairman and managing director of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited said that units 1 and 2 have produced more than 57.4 billion units of carbon-free green energy since they were commissioned.

While global warming is a matter of concern, KNPP plays a significant role in producing green energy.

Image Source

Also read: Construction of Kudankulam reactors to begin soon

Also read: L&T lowest bidder for Kudankulam plant construction

On Tuesday, construction work on units 5 and 6 of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant (KNPP) in Tamil Nadu began with the first concrete pouring into the foundation plate of the reactor building. The project, to be achieved at an outlay of Rs 49,621 crore, was launched by K N Vyas, Atomic Energy Commission chairman and DAE secretary, in the presence of Alexey Likhachev, DG, RosatomGlobal and SK Sharma, Chairman and Director of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) through video-conference. KNPP involves six units of light water reactors with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts each. It has been established in technical cooperation with the Russian Federation. The project is being executed in three phases of 2x1000 MW each. The development of units 5 and 6 is anticipated to complete in 66 and 75 months, respectively. Construction of these two units will be implemented by Larsen and Toubro (L&T) Limited, which is involved in the ongoing construction of units 3 and 4 that are nearly half complete. On completion of all these projects, the six units will provide 6000MW of clean energy to the country in the latter half of 2027, making it the biggest power-producing complex in India. Works to be conducted by L&T at Rs 2,305 crore comprise the construction of the reactor auxiliary, reactor, turbine and diesel generator buildings and safety structures. While KNPP was reliant on Russia for every element used in the first two reactors (units 1 and 2), it is determined that about 36% of the components used in units 5 and 6 will be fabricated in India. The chairman expressed confidence that the reactors at KNPP will place India among the frontrunners of nuclear energy-producing countries globally. It will also make a significant contribution to the growth of Tamil Nadu, he added. He termed the construction of KNPP reactors a stellar example of Indo–Russian strategic cooperation, despite the Covid-19 pandemic. Satish Kumar Sharma, Chairman and managing director of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited said that units 1 and 2 have produced more than 57.4 billion units of carbon-free green energy since they were commissioned. While global warming is a matter of concern, KNPP plays a significant role in producing green energy. Image Source Also read: Construction of Kudankulam reactors to begin soon Also read: L&T lowest bidder for Kudankulam plant construction

Technology

29 Jul 2026

AI-Enabled Workflows Lift Profitability and Productivity

Organisations modernising frontline workflows with artificial intelligence, automation and real-time data are reporting stronger financial performance, higher productivity and improved employee engagement, according to a global study by Zebra Technologies and Oxford Economics.The research covered 1,000 senior leaders across retail, manufacturing, transportation and logistics in the US, Mexico, the UK, Germany, India, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.In transportation and logistics, 54 per cent of companies that improved picking and packing operations reported faster operational performance, wh..

Real Estate

29 Jul 2026

India Leads Global AI Readiness but Implementation Lags

Indian companies lead global averages across all eight artificial intelligence readiness indicators tracked by JLL, but only 19 per cent have started making changes to their workplaces, according to the JLL 2026 Future of Work Survey.The study found that 77 per cent of Indian business leaders expect AI to change their office requirements, creating a 58-percentage-point gap between awareness and implementation. The survey covered more than 2,200 CEOs, CFOs and real estate leaders across 21 countries during the first quarter of 2026.Despite concerns over automation, 58 per cent of Indian leaders..

Equipment

29 Jul 2026

Three WOLFF Cranes Build Riyadh Cable-Stayed Bridges

Three WOLFF 180 B luffing jib cranes are supporting the construction of two cable-stayed bridges alongside the existing Wadi Laban Bridge in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The project is being developed for the Royal Commission for Riyadh City and executed by the ICRC joint venture comprising IC Ictas and Al Rashid Trading & Contracting Company.The cranes are handling lifting operations including formwork, reinforcement, concrete placement, work platforms, surveying equipment and other construction materials. Each crane is fitted with a 40 m jib, reaches a hook height of 157 m and offers a maximum ..