KUNDANKULAM — India

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 2,225 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).

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

Data provenance

Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.

capacity: WRI GPPD; fuel: WRI GPPD

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.

Key facts

Load factor

32%, from 5,562 GWh of reported generation; the median for 6 nuclear plants in India that report generation is 73%

Generation trend

3,875 GWh in 2014 and 5,562 GWh in 2018 (+44%)

Highest and lowest year

2017: 7,894 GWh; 2015: 2,027 GWh

Share of India nuclear capacity

4.5% of 44,940 MW across 17 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

8 of 13 dated nuclear plants in India are older

Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).

Reported generation trend

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.

Monthly mean temperature

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

This site sits in an aggressive, high-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C5 — Very high), with marine salt corrosion the leading environmental stress.

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 44,940 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• KODAYAR-I&II · Hydro · 100 MW · Tamil Nadu
• Karur Textile Park Wind Farm · Wind · 6 MW · Tamil Nadu
• SERVALAR · Hydro · 20 MW · Tamil Nadu
• Nagercoli Wind Farm · Wind · 37.6 MW · Tamil Nadu
• Kudankulam · Nuclear · 2,000 MW · Tamil Nadu
• PAPANASAM · Hydro · 32 MW · Tamil Nadu

Location

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

Frequently asked questions