Russia-India Nuclear Collaboration: Putin Commits to Full Capacity Development of Kudankulam Plant

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced during a joint press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi that Russia continues its collaboration with India on the Kudankulam nuclear power plant, India's largest nuclear facility. Putin confirmed that two of the six planned reactors are already operational, with Russia firmly committed to bringing the Tamil Nadu-based plant to its full capacity.

"We're implementing a flagship project to construct India's largest nuclear power plant at Kudankulam. Two reactor units out of six are already connected to the energy grid, while four remain under construction. Bringing this nuclear power plant to full operational capacity will significantly contribute to meeting India's growing energy demands," Putin stated.

Following Putin's comments, Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom confirmed delivery of the first batch of nuclear fuel intended for the initial loading of Kudankulam's third reactor.

The Russian President's remarks came during his two-day visit to India, where he and PM Modi explored various bilateral matters, including enhanced cooperation in the energy sector.

Putin elaborated: "We envision potential collaboration on small modular reactors and floating nuclear power plants, along with non-energy applications of nuclear technology in sectors such as medicine and agriculture."

The Russian leader emphasized that his country serves as a dependable supplier of oil, gas, coal, and other resources essential for India's energy development, guaranteeing uninterrupted fuel shipments to support India's rapidly expanding economy.

Located near India's southern tip, the Kudankulam nuclear facility is designed to house six VVER-1000 reactors with a combined capacity of 6,000 MW. The first two reactors were integrated into the power grid in 2013 and 2016 respectively, while construction continues on the remaining four units.

Russia has maintained long-term uranium fuel supply arrangements with the nuclear plant. Today, Rosatom delivered fuel assemblies for the third reactor, manufactured at the Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant, via cargo aircraft.

The complete delivery will require seven flights from Russia, operating under a contract signed in 2024 to supply fuel for the third and fourth reactors throughout their operational lifespan.