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KUNDANKULAM

Nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu, India. Approximate location 8.1691, 77.1327.

NuclearTamil NaduIndia

KUNDANKULAM is a 2,000 MW nuclear power station in Tamil Nadu, India. It is operated by Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL). Based on reported annual generation of 5,562 GWh, it can supply roughly 1.6 million homes. It ranks #110 of 2,229 India power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2015, it is around 11 years old — relatively modern. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, nuclear supplies about 2.6% of India's electricity; the national grid averages 670 gCO₂/kWh (26.7% low-carbon) (2025).

2,000Legacy source-record capacity
5,562GWh reported / yr
1,589,228homes powered
2015commissioned (~11 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id IND0000220.

Data status

Known data

FacilityKUNDANKULAM WRI
CountryIndia · Tamil Nadu WRI
Coordinates8.1691, 77.1327 WRI
FuelNuclear WRI
MW installed capacity2,000 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerNuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) WRI
Commissioned2015 WRI
GWh reported / yr5,562 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#110 of 2229 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#7 of 17 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers1.09× · 1,840 MW median · 17 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent1,589,228 calculated from reported generation
Climate27.6°C · HDD 0 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC5 · 49/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

TechnologyNot available not in dataset
GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset
CO₂ emissionsnot applicable not applicable

Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.

Data provenance

The capacity and fuel fields on this page are source-record values from the upstream open dataset. They are useful for identification and ranking, but they have not been upgraded to a 2026 registry/GEM-location verified value.

capacity: WRI Global Power Plant Database source-record (legacy); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 2,000 MW, KUNDANKULAM is around the median nuclear plant in India (1,840 MW). Nuclear plants split uranium to raise steam with no direct CO₂; they run as steady baseload with very high capacity factors and the longest operating lifetimes of any thermal plant.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Reported generation trend

2014: 3,875 GWh20142015: 2,027 GWh20152016: 5,724 GWh20162017: 7,894 GWh20172018: 5,562 GWh20188k GWh

Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL).

Local climate & thermal context

This nuclear plant uses heat from nuclear fission to raise steam for a turbine-generator. It sits in a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 8.2°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

27.6°Cannual mean temp
0heating degree-days (base 18°C)
3,505cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
29 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 27 °CJF: 27 °CFM: 28 °CMA: 29 °CAM: 29 °CMJ: 28 °CJJ: 27 °CJA: 27 °CAS: 28 °CSO: 27 °CON: 27 °CND: 27 °CD29 °C

This site has effectively no heating season (tropical/equatorial climate), so winter heat loss is not the driver here. The thermal concern shifts to year-round process heat and humidity/heat-driven corrosion of hot equipment.

Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.

Site climate & environmental severity

For a plant’s outdoor hardware — heat-recovery steam generators (HRSG), expansion joints, valves, flanges and their insulation — the local climate sets how fast unprotected steel and coatings degrade. This site sits in an aggressive, high-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C5 — Very high), with marine salt corrosion the leading environmental stress.

C5ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
49/100environmental-severity index
2.6°Cseasonal temperature swing
15 kmdistance to coast

Higher environmental severity is exactly where protective removable insulation pays back most: a sheltered micro-climate slows corrosion, UV and thermal-cycling damage and extends outdoor hardware service life. This is an indicative site-climate context — not a condition assessment of any specific plant or operator.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #7 largest nuclear power plant of 17 in India by capacity.

India has 17 nuclear power plants in this dataset, together about 44,460 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 8.1691, 77.1327 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is KUNDANKULAM?

KUNDANKULAM is a 2,000 MW source-record nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu, India, commissioned in 2015.

How much electricity does KUNDANKULAM generate?

KUNDANKULAM generates about 5,562 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can KUNDANKULAM power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 1,589,228 homes.

Who operates KUNDANKULAM?

KUNDANKULAM is operated by Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL).

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