The case of the core melt localization device or the so-called core catcher has been installed in the design position under the reactor pit of power unit No.4 of Kudankulam NPP which is under construction in India under VVER-1000 Russian design.
“The installation of the core catcher in the design position is an important step of the NPP construction,: said Vadim Khlivenko, Deputy Director for Projects in India, Head of Construction Division of ROSATOM Engineering Division at Kudankulam NPP Construction Site. "It is a unique system of NPP protection and the first large-size equipment item that is installed in the reactor building."
Core catchers are installed at all the current, Russian-designed nuclear power plants.
The case of the core catcher in place at the Kudankulam NPP weighs over 160 tons. A heavy-duty crane was used for its installation.