AERB clears equipment erection at Kudankulam Units 5 and 6
The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) has granted permission for major equipment erection at Units 5 and 6 of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) in Tamil Nadu. The clearance was formally issued on April 30, 2026, allowing Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) to begin installing key plant components.
The approval covers installation of core equipment, including the Reactor Pressure Vessel, Steam Generators, and Coolant Pumps. AERB issued the clearance after a multi-tier safety review of the units’ design against its regulatory requirements, along with an assessment of civil construction progress completed under the earlier First Pour of Concrete (FPC) permit granted in April 2021.
AERB stated that the units incorporate advanced safety features in line with its Safety Code on Design of Light Water Reactor-based nuclear power plants. The code is aligned with current standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The Kudankulam site in Tirunelveli district hosts six Pressurised Water Reactors (PWR) of VVER design, developed in collaboration with the Russian Federation. Each unit has a capacity of 1000 MW. KKNPP-1 and KKNPP-2 have been operational since 2013 and 2015, while Units 3 and 4 are at an advanced construction stage. AERB had earlier granted a similar major equipment erection permit for Units 3 and 4.
