The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project is likely to be commissioned by December 15, V. Narayanasamy, Union Minister of State for Prime Minister’s Office, said here on Sunday.

Addressing a press conference, he said the trial run of the first reactor was in progress after an inspection by experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency and Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.

Indian industry expects a way forward in liability issue

With Barack Obama re-elected the President of the US, the Indian nuclear industry and the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) officials hope the continuity in the administration would boost nuclear cooperation between the two countries. Nuclear Power Corp of India Ltd (NPCIL) is already in talks with US companies such as GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy and Westinghouse Electric Co for the supply of nuclear reactors for India’s ongoing nuclear capacity addition programme. The status quo in Washington will boost these talks as well, say industry officials.

The debate over nuclear energy will go on, but the issue with the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) is one of the several illegalities on which it is founded.

In 1988, India inked the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant deal with the former Soviet Union. Two key elements in it were: the highly dangerous and toxic “Spent Nuclear Fuel” (SNF) would be shipped back to the Soviet Union; and the massive volumes of fresh water required to cool the plant would be supplied from Pechiparai dam, in Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu. The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) formally granted approval on May 9, 1989 on this basis. But there was no further progress until 1997.

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.

The first 1,000 MW unit of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project in Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli district, which is just two steps away from reaching criticality, moved further ahead, with the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board early this week giving its nod for closing the reactor pressure vessel, which has already been loaded with 163 bundles of enriched uranium fuel.

India’s first 1000 MW atomic power plant built with Russian collaboration at Koodankulam is just two steps away from going critical, a top official said on Friday.
“We are on a very smooth path now. We have completed fuel loading and the nuclear regulator is carrying out a review,” Shiv Abhilash Bhardwaj, director (technical), Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), said.

Inspection by Atomic Energy Regulatory Board’s Advisory Committee for Project Safety Review (ACPSR) of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project 1 and 2 continued for the second day on Thursday during which

Makes clear that 17 safety measures are additional, not a condition precedent. Attorney General G. E. Vahanvati has asserted in the Supreme Court that the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant is absolutely safe and all apprehensions over safety of the plant are completely baseless.

Making this submission before a Bench of Justices K.S. Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra on Tuesday, Mr. Vahanvati also made it clear that it was not a condition precedent that all 17 safety measures to be implemented before the plant are put into operation.

Health and environment are as important as is plant safety, says judge

The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to spell out how nuclear waste/spent fuel will be handled or transported after the Kudankulam plant in Tamil Nadu becomes operational. A Bench of Justices K.S. Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra on Wednesday wanted to know from the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL), how it intended transporting the nuclear waste out of the plant and store it in a safe place without affecting environment.

A 10-member Atomic Energy Regulatory Board team is camping at Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) site for inspecting the first of the 2 X 1,000 MWe reactors, which has been loaded with enriched uranium fuel assemblies and is ready for criticality.

The AERB team, which reached Anu Vijay Township, KKNPP employees’ residential colony, from Mumbai on Wednesday morning, went to the KKNPP site to start the inspection immediately.