June 15: The reactor pressure vessel for Unit 5 of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant was installed at the project site with the participation of the Engineering Division of Rosatom, the project’s general designer and contractor.

The installation was carried out using the Open Top method, in which heavy equipment is lifted into the reactor building by a high-capacity crane before the dome is erected. According to project officials, this method was also used during the construction of the second phase of the Kudankulam project.

The reactor vessel was manufactured at Rosatom’s Atommash plant in Volgodonsk, Russia. The equipment delivered to the Kudankulam project weighs approximately 300 tonnes.

Following the installation, work is expected to begin on the assembly of key reactor plant equipment, including steam generators, main circulation pumps, main coolant pipeline modules, the pressurizer, and emergency core cooling system tanks.

Mikhail Novikov, Director for Projects in India at Atomstroyexport, said that the Kudankulam project reflects long-standing cooperation between India and Russia. He noted that two Russian-designed units have been generating electricity for more than a decade, while additional units are under various stages of construction.

Officials stated that the project represents continued collaboration between the two countries in the field of nuclear energy and infrastructure development.