NEW DELHI: Taking a crucial step towards boosting the country’s nuclear energy programme, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) has sanctioned “major equipment erection” at Units 5 and 6 of Kudankulam nuclear power plant (KKNPP).The permission, granted on April 30, marks a significant shift from civil construction to core plant development by allowing Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) to install vital reactor components, such as reactor pressure vessel, steam generators and coolant pumps.“Landmark progress at Kudankulam. India’s nuclear energy programme achieves another decisive milestone,” NPCIL said on X. It further said, “The approval followed from comprehensive multi-tier safety reviews by AERB, reaffirming adherence to stringent national regulations and global benchmarks, including IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) standards.”Department of atomic energy said, “This permission was issued after satisfactory completion of multi-tier safety review of design of the units against the safety requirements specified by AERB as well as assessment of the progress of civil construction activities so far, under the earlier permission issued in April 2021 for ‘First Pour of Concrete’ (FPC).”Kudankulam project site has six units of pressurised water reactors of VVER design, being established in technical collaboration with the Russian Federation. The first two units (KKNPP Units-1&2) have been in operation since 2013. The third and fourth units are in the advanced stage of development, for which AERB had earlier issued permission for major equipment erection.