Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Russia Delivers First Fuel for Kudankulam Unit 3 During Putin's India Visit

The step advances pre-commissioning under a 2024 lifetime fuel pact for Units 3 and 4.

Overview

  • Rosatom said a Nuclear Fuel Division cargo flight delivered assemblies manufactured by the Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant.
  • Seven flights from Russia are planned to complete the reactor core and provide reserve fuel under the 2024 supply contract.
  • Unit 3 has begun initial loading and is moving toward first criticality, with Rosatom chief Alexey Likhachev saying commissioning will start in 2026.
  • Kudankulam is planned as a six‑unit VVER‑1000 complex totaling 6,000 MW, with Units 1 and 2 already supplying power to southern India.
  • Putin used the visit to propose expanded nuclear cooperation, including small modular reactors, floating plants, and non‑energy applications.