Makes clear that 17 safety measures are additional, not a condition precedent

Attorney General G.E. Vahanvati asserted in the Supreme Court on Tuesday that the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant was absolutely safe and all apprehensions on safety of the plant were completely baseless. Making this submission before a Bench of Justices K.S. Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra, Mr. Vahanvati also made it clear that it was not a condition precedent that all the 17 safety measures to be implemented before the plant was put into operation.

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.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Centre to explain whether exempting the Russian manufacturer of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant’s reactor could adversely cost India’s exchequer an

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.

More than 2,00,000 tonnes of precious thorium oxide, which could have met at least half the energy requirements of the country for more than 50 years, is missing from India.

Emphasising the importance of safety at the Kudankulam nuclear power plant, the Supreme Court on Thursday cautioned the Centre that it could even stall the commissioning of the plant in case it was

Kudankulam plant is absolutely safe even without the 17 recommendations of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, says NPCIL

During a hearing in the Supreme Court on Thursday on petitions related to the Kudankulam plant, Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioners, argued that the plant got a vague environmental clearance in 1989 when the site was not decided, no Environment Impact Assessment was done and no public hearing was conducted which was mandatory under law. He said three critical changes were made in the plant.

Atomic Energy Commission chairman R K Sinha said the first unit of 1,000 Mw at the Kudankulam nuclear plant in Tamil Nadu should be operational by the end of the calender year.

Fuel loading, deferred after the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) directed upgrade of safety applications, was on and would be complete in one and a half months. “However, it will not be possible to give you an exact time when the first unit would be commissioned, especially in view of further directives from AERB and also because of a case pending in the Supreme Court.