The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) is the largest nuclear power station in India, located in Kudankulam, Tamil Nadu, and is an institution/project designed to generate electricity. The project originated from an inter-governmental agreement signed on November 20, 1988, between Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi of India and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev of the Soviet Union, with the goal of meeting India's increasing energy demand. The project was revived with a supplement agreement on June 21, 1998, after a period of dormancy following the dissolution of the USSR. Construction officially began on March 31, 2002.
The plant is designed to house six units, each with a gross electrical capacity of 1,000 MW, for a total planned capacity of 6,000 MW. It works by utilizing Russian-designed VVER-1000/V-412 reactors, which are water-cooled, water-moderated Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs). These reactors use about 4.4% enriched Uranium as fuel. The design and supply of major equipment are the responsibility of the Russian Federation, while the construction is managed by India.
The project is a flagship collaboration between India's Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and Russia's state company Atomstroyexport (part of Rosatom). Units 1 and 2 are operational, with Unit 1 achieving commercial operation on December 31, 2014, and Unit 2 on October 15, 2016. The project has been continuously expanding, with Units 3 and 4 under construction since June 29, 2017, and Units 5 and 6 since June 29, 2021, and December 20, 2021, respectively. A recent change is the introduction of the advanced TVS-2M fuel for Units 3 and 4, which extends the fuel cycle from 12 months to 18 months, allowing for less frequent refueling shutdowns. The installation of the reactor pressure vessel for Unit 5 in June 2026 marked a key milestone in the ongoing construction phase.