Says plant is safe and secure, necessary for economic growth

SC today dismissed a plea against commissioning of the Kudankulam nuclear plant. The plant is safe and secure and is necessary for larger public interest and economic growth of the country, the apex court said. Nuclear power plants are needed in the country for the present and future generations, it added.

Inking the Nuclear Cooperation Agreement paves the way for Canadian uranium to reach India

The governments of India and Canada have taken another step towards full implementation of their bilateral Nuclear Cooperation Agreement (NCA), paving the way for Canadian uranium to reach India. Joe Oliver, federal minister of natural resources, announced yesterday that officials from the two countries had signed an ‘Appropriate Arrangement’ as part of the nuclear agreement. He said so at the headquarters of Canada’s largest uranium producer, Cameco Corporation, in Saskatoon, a city in the province of Saskatchewan.

Experts say the membership will help India procure more fuel and nuclear components

Indian nuclear experts have told Business Standard that it is an opportune time for the country to gain membership of the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group (NSG), despite reservations expressed by China and some smaller European states such as Ireland, the Netherlands and Switzerland. The experts strongly feel that this would not only help India procure more fuel and nuclear components, but also be an opportunity for the Indian industry to aggressively tap the global market.

People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy to lay siege to township tomorrow

The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project has “successfully completed” the mandatory penultimate tests before commissioning its first unit by testing an array of steam relief valves under operating pressure and temperature. The tests, started on last Friday to evaluate the performance of high-precision steam relief valves at operating pressure and temperature, were completed on Monday.

Scientists from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) feel there is a great need to enhance per capita consumption of nuclear energy in India and the little use at present is mainly because of non-availability of this crucial energy.

In an interaction with scientists and academicians of Himachal Pradesh University here on Friday, BARC’s Analytical Chemistry Division head Dr. A.V.R. Reddy said it has become vital that nuclear energy, which could be a cost-effective and environment-friendly option, is harnessed on a large scale.

Lankan govt has also protested and voiced reservations against the project

Indian and Sri Lankan environment activists are planning a series of joint protests against the proposed Kudankulam nuclear plant in southern Tamil Nadu.
“Several environmental groups are protesting in that country (Sri Lanka), too. We are in touch with the environmental organisations there on a regular basis. Last week, one of them had organised a protest in front of the Indian Embassy in Sri Lanka and we are looking to take this tie-up forward,” said M Pushpanarayan, leader of the Tamil Nadu-based People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE), which has completed 583 days of continuous protests against the project.

Winning back confidence in nuclear power after Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident in March difficult, but will require unwavering commitment to safety

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Yukiya Amano said on Monday public awareness was important to ensure nuclear power projects do not face opposition. He acknowledged the concerns and opposition to nuclear power capacity addition. “Public acceptance is also an important issue. I know this has been a concern in India, as in other countries, and that there have been demonstrations against the construction of new nuclear power plants,” Amano said in Mumbai at an event organised by the Indian Nuclear Society.

With the much-delayed Kudankulam nuclear power project expected to be commissioned by April, anti-KNPP activists on Monday revived their protest by laying a siege to the plant through sea.

Defying prohibitory orders, fishermen from Kanyakumari, Tuticorin and Tirunelveli districts came in boats with black flags hoisted atop them and laid siege about 500 metres from the plant.

Environmentalists say EIL is not qualified to conduct study, want report to be reviewed by an independent experts panel

Environmental experts and activists, who have alleged that Engineers India Limited (EIL) is not qualified and accredited as yet to conduct an environmental impact assessment (EIA) of the Mithivirdi nuclear power plant in Gujarat’s Saurashtra region, have found serious gaps in the EIA report itself in its present form. They have demanded that the EIA presented by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) as submitted by EIL should be reviewed by an independent experts committee.