NPCIL denies leak of sensitive data pertaining to Kudankulam nuclear power plant

A day after reports of sensitive data of Kudankulam nuclear power project being accessed by a Ransomware Group World Leaks, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) clarified that the information claimed to be available in the public domain pertains only to conventional Balance of Plant (BoP) common service facilities and does not relate to any nuclear safety or nuclear security-related systems or information.

The Kudankulam nuclear power project is located in Tamil Nadu. In 2019 as well, allegations of the nuclear plant’s network being infected with malware had surfaced. The malware was linked to North Korea’s state-backed Lazarus group.

Reuters had reported that more than 19,000 files dating between 2016 to mid-2025 had been accessed by the World Leaks.

In a press statement, the NPCIL said that the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract for the Common Services-Balance of Plant (BoP) package was awarded to M/s Reliance Infrastructure Ltd. in 2018 through a public tender process.

“The scope of the contract includes engineering, procurement/supply, construction and commissioning of common service facilities. These facilities are of conventional nature and are typically found in thermal power plants as well as other process industries. They are not related to nuclear safety or nuclear security systems,” it said.

The official statement pointed out that under the public tendering process, NPCIL provided indicative drawings and technical specifications to the bidders. “Based on these inputs and the requirements of the project, the EPC contractor, M/s Reliance Infrastructure Ltd., prepared detailed engineering drawings in consultation with the respective Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). The designs proposed by Reliance Infra Itd, meeting the technical specifications, are accepted by NPCIL after review,” it said.