Russia Offers Advanced Fuel For Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant: Government

Russia has offered a more advanced fuel option for the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu, Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh told Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

In a written reply to a question, Singh said the first lot of TVS-2M fuel assemblies has been received in May-June 2022 from Russian Federation and loaded in Unit-1. They are performing satisfactorily, he said.

The minister said there would be no additional environmental impact with the change in fuel.

He said the use of TVS-2M fuel assemblies in KKNPP reactors will allow 18-month operating cycles as against 12-month operating cycles with UTVS Fuel Assemblies presently in use in Unit-II.

The minister said Russia had offered a more advanced fuel viz. TVS-2M type in place of UTVS type fuel for use in reactors at Unit I and II at Kudankulam.

He said after detailed deliberations by experts, considering the better operational performance with TVS-2M type fuel assemblies, it was decided to use TVS-2M fuel in place of UTVS fuel assemblies in Kudankulam Units-I and II.