Unit I of the multi-crore Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) will generate 1,000 MW power by January next year, a senior official of KKNPP said.
KKNPP site director, R S Sundar, in his Independence Day (I-Day) address at the nuclear plant site in coastal Kudankulam in Tirunelveli district said that the entire team was working hard, day and night for initial fuel loading (IFL) and first approach to criticality (FAC). The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) had given the clearance for IFL and FAC few days back.
"I am very hopeful and confident that we will be generating 1,000 MW from unit one when we will be celebrating the next flag hoisting during the Republic Day. All our efforts to commission unit two is also being taken up in the same spirit and hopefully by next August 15, we will achieve significant milestones in unit two also," he said.
The power generation in unit one of KKNPP is a major milestone. The project was born out of an inter-governmental agreement between India and Russia in 1988 and the construction of plant began in 1997. But the project ran into a rough weather after anti-nuclear activists stalled progress last year when the first unit was nearing commissioning. Work eventually resumed and the AERB gave the go ahead, for uranium fuel loading.
However, the anti-nuclear protesters under the aegis of People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) are still continuing the protest though in a feeble level at nearby Idinthakarai village.
TNN | Aug 16, 2012
Activities at Kudankulam plant focused on fuel loading: Official
Koodankulam Site Director R. S. Sundar has expressed confidence that the first unit of the power plant would generate 1000 MW before January 26, 2013.
Kudankulam (TN), Aug. 15: All activities at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant are now focused on Initial Fuel Loading for the first reactor, a top KNPP official said here today.
“With the Atomic Regulatory Board giving clearance to the initial fuel loading and first approach to criticality, we are focussed on loading the fuel,” Koodankulam Site Director R. S. Sundar said, speaking at the Independence Day celebrations here.
He expressed confidence that the first unit would generate 1000 MW before January 26, 2013.
“Efforts to commission Unit 2 are also being taken up and hopefully by August 15 next, we will achieve significant milestones on this unit also,” he said.
Stating that all safety standards would be fully satisfied, he said plant operation engineers were licensed to operate VVER reactors. “We have also signed the inter-governmental agreement for finalising credit terms between India and Russia for the third and fourth units,” he said.
He also said the Central expert group had made “sincere” efforts to help allay the fears of the local people over safety aspects of KNPP and explained various facts scientifically.
Under the neighbourhood development programme, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd would contribute Rs 200 crore for the uplift of the local community, he said.
The first unit of KNPP, an Indo-Russian joint venture, was scheduled for commissioning in December last, but was bogged down by delays due to protests against the project.
PTI | Aug 16, 2012
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