Chennai, (Samajweekly) Russia’s integrated nuclear power player Rosatom on Friday said that ship BBC Elbe has left the country with equipment for two 1,000 MW atomic power plants coming up in Tamil Nadu’s Kudankulam.
According to Rosatom, the ship carries cargo including spent fuel pool racks, auxiliary equipment for turbine for Unit No 3 and foundation frames with anchor bolts for turbine, air duct of the reactor shaft equipment, fastening elements of the reactor coolant pump, hydroaccumulator of emergency core cooling system, shock absorber of the container section for Unit No 4 and penetrations and tanks for both Units.
The BBC Elbe is heading for Germany’s Hamburg port to take four transformers (two for each unit) for Kudankulam Units 3 and 4, manufactured under the contract for equipment supply from third countries, and will then set course for India.
“This is the second shipload in September. Together with our Indian colleagues, we are supplying equipment required at the NPP (Nuclear Power Plant) site, making up for lagging behind during the Covid-19 restrictions,” said Mikhail Novikov, Deputy Director for Kudankulam NPP equipment procurement.
Arrival of equipment in the Indian port is expected in the second half of October, Rosatom said.
India’s atomic power company, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) is building four more plants – Units 3, 4, 5 and 6 – of 1,000 MW each in Kudankulam in Tirunelveli district.
The first two units of similar power generation capacity have been functional for some time now.
