Commissioning of the second unit is expected to follow early next year

The much-delayed Kudankulam nuclear power project is expected to become operational shortly, Ratan Kumar Sinha, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission said today. "The work on the construction of the first of the two 1000 MW Light Water Reactors (LWRs) at Kudankulam is complete," Sinha said addressing a function in Mumbai to commemorate the 103rd birth anniversary of Homi Jehangir Bhabha, the founder of India's nuclear programme.

A 12-member team of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) arrived at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan on Monday for carrying out an in-depth safety review of two units of the atomic power station in the town. This is the first operational safety review team (OSART) mission in the country being conducted at the Union government’s request.

The team comprises experts from the nuclear power plants of Canada, Belgium, Finland, Germany, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden. The OSART mission will stay at the Rawatbhata plant till November 15. The review will check adherence to the nuclear regulator’s safety standards and proven good practices.

The International Atomic Energy Agency and the Japanese government plan to set up a long-term research base in Fukushima to study ways to decontaminate radiation-tainted areas and dispose of radioa

Nuclear Power Corporation (NPC), which completed initial fuel loading at the Kudankulam plant, would soon seek the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) nod to close the reactor vessel before starting the process for the reactor to attain criticality.

Meanwhile, NPC and the Depart-ment of Atomic Energy are preparation its arguments on safety measures at the Kudankulam project for Thursday’s hearing in the Supreme Court. NPC has finished initial fuel loading in phase-I of the project on October 2.

Initial fuel loading having been completed, firm looks at safety measures at the project site for Thursday's hearing

Nuclear Power Corporation (NPC), which completed initial fuel loading at the Kudankulam plant, would soon seek the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) nod to close the reactor vessel before starting the process for the reactor to attain criticality. Meanwhile, NPC and the Department of Atomic Energy are preparation its arguments on safety measures at the Kudankulam project for Thursday’s hearing in the Supreme Court.

Members of the Congress’s Chennai districts held a demonstration in support of the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant on Thursday.

The State unit of the CPI (M) on Thursday urged the government to form an independent expert committee to go into the safety aspects of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) in the wake of apprehensions expressed by the local people about its safety.

Mr. Ramakrishnan said the party was in full agreement with the Supreme Court’s observation that there could be no compromise on people’s safety. He, however, clarified that the CPI (M) did not support the demand for closing down of the two nuclear reactors in Kudankulam.

After loading fuel in all 163 fuel assemblies at Unit-I of the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP), scientists on Tuesday launched the criticality process — jargon for generating energy — which is its main activity.

Mark the symbolism in the choice of dates: while fuel loading began on Ganesh Chaturthi Day, the process of splitting ‘atoms for peace’ commenced on Gandhi Jayanti Day.

Certain clauses within India’s civil nuclear liability legislation continue to “cause concerns to some of our companies,” and “that is still something that needs to be addressed,” said Robert Blake

The U.N.