Vividh Hi-Fab Pvt. Ltd., a Vadodara-based precision engineering and heavy fabrication company, has developed and manufactured critical equipment used in the handling and storage of spent nuclear fuel, marking a shift from imports to domestic production for key components in India’s nuclear power programme. The development covers spent fuel storage racks, fuel transfer machines, and transportation containers used in nuclear power plants.
Spent nuclear fuel rods, after completing their operational life in reactors, continue to emit high levels of radiation and decay heat. These rods are initially stored underwater within reactor facilities and later transferred to Away From Reactor storage systems, where certified racks, automated handling machines, and shielded containers are required to meet international nuclear safety standards.
The execution of the spent fuel storage racks for Units 1 and 2 of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant was carried out through a collaborative effort between Holtec Asia and Vividh Hi-Fab. The racks have completed multi-stage testing and qualification by central government agencies and are scheduled for deployment at the site. They were dispatched yesterday from the Vadodra facility.
The spent fuel storage racks manufactured by Vividh Hi-Fab are produced using borated stainless steel, which absorbs neutrons and prevents accidental criticality when fuel assemblies are stored in high-density configurations underwater. The racks are designed for hexagonal fuel assemblies used in VVER-type reactors.
In parallel, the company is completing the indigenous manufacture of automated fuel transfer machines used for remote handling of spent fuel bundles within reactor buildings and cooling pools. These systems are designed to operate in high-radiation environments and enable precise positioning of fuel assemblies without direct human intervention. Vividh Hi-Fab is also manufacturing shielded transportation containers that incorporate structural steel sections, internal radiation shielding, and stainless steel cladding for the safe movement of spent fuel to storage or reprocessing facilities.
Manufacturing is undertaken at specialised facilities in Vadodara that include nuclear clean halls to prevent contamination during fabrication and assembly of safety-critical components. The company operates heavy fabrication shops equipped with high-capacity lifting systems for handling large equipment and transport containers weighing several tens of metric tonnes. Precision machining capabilities such as CNC cutting and wire electrical discharge machining are used to meet the dimensional tolerances required for nuclear applications.
Beyond spent fuel handling systems, Vividh Hi-Fab has executed projects for India’s strategic programmes, including large-diameter bearing systems for fast breeder reactor applications, fresh fuel sub-assembly storage and transfer systems, and stainless steel-clad tanks used in space programme infrastructure. The company has also supplied heavy industrial equipment for overseas projects through Indian engineering contractors.
The spent fuel management architecture at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant reflects the integration of Russian reactor design with US-origin back-end nuclear technologies. Kudankulam’s VVER-1000 reactors, supplied under Indo-Russian cooperation, use hexagonal fuel assemblies and require high-density, neutron-absorbing storage systems compatible with Russian geometry and operating parameters. The spent fuel storage racks executed for Units 1 and 2 were engineered to interface with these Russian-designed reactors while meeting international criticality safety norms. The programme combined reactor-side requirements defined by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited with storage and handling solutions developed through collaboration between Holtec Asia and Vividh Hi-Fab, enabling localisation of complex equipment traditionally sourced from overseas suppliers.
Holtec Asia is a wholly owned subsidiary of Holtec International and plays a central role in deploying US nuclear engineering practices across India’s nuclear and thermal power sectors. Its portfolio spans spent fuel storage racks, transport casks, and away-from-reactor wet storage systems for Russian-designed reactors, alongside advanced manufacturing of air-cooled condensers at its Dahej facility and technology transfer programmes for small modular reactors. The company maintains a dedicated engineering and design centre in Pune supporting nuclear physics, thermal-hydraulics, and seismic analysis, while also participating in strategic collaborations with Indian engineering firms for heat transfer equipment and emerging energy storage technologies.
Vividh Hi-Fab Pvt. Ltd. operates as a specialised fabrication and precision engineering unit serving the nuclear energy, space, and defence sectors, focusing on low-volume, high-complexity manufacturing that requires extended development cycles and strict regulatory compliance.