Kudankulam Atomic Power Project, India

What is it?

A new 2000MW nuclear power plant in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu featuring a 10,240m³/d desalination plant employing mechanical vapour compression (MVC) technology.

Who is responsible?

IDE Technologies supplied four 2,540m³/d MVC evaporators, while the power plant was constructed by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India, Ltd.

What makes it special?

• When the Nuclear Power Corporation of India settled on Tamil Nadu for a 2000MW nuclear power plant, it faced the challenge of obtaining a reliable water source without negatively impacting other users in the area. IDE’s solution was to build a desalination plant which draws water from the open ocean, rather than using the nearby Pechiparai reservoir.

• The capex requirement was reduced by enabling the desal plant to share the power plant’s cooling water intake and outfall. The thermodynamic efficiency and operational simplicity of the MVC technology will reduce operating costs.

• Kudankulam is one of the largest desalination plants in the world supplying a nuclear facility. With the success of this plant, IDE has provided further proof that seawater desalination is a viable option for nuclear facilities in water-scarce areas.