Russia set to launch first unit of NPP in India in 2008

Russia has experienced difficulties with the construction of India's Kudankulam nuclear power plant, but the first unit will nevertheless go online in 2008, the head of Atomstroyexport said Monday.

Atomstroyexport, Russia's nuclear power equipment and services export monopoly, has been building the Kudankulam plant in the southern province of Tamil Nadu since 2002, in line with a 1988 agreement between India and the Soviet Union and an addendum signed in 1998.

During Russian President Vladimir Putin's two-day visit to India in January, Russia agreed to build four more power reactors for the nuclear plant.

"To be honest, the construction of the Kudankulam NPP has experienced some problems," Sergei Shmatko said. "We [Russia] had problems with equipment deliveries, and India with the organization of construction work. But the year 2006 turned out to be crucial in some ways, and we managed to establish an atmosphere of complete understanding and trust with the customer."

He added that the work was currently being carried out in a standard mode and that the first unit would be put into operation in 2008, and not in 2007 as previously announced.

The project, which was developed by Russian nuclear scientists and leading nuclear energy enterprises, stipulates the construction of third-generation water-cooled reactors with a capacity of 1,000 MW each and upgraded security systems.

Water-cooled power reactors are the most popular type of reactors used across the world. Some 250 water-cooled reactors operate in various countries, including 49 made by Russia.

The NPP-92 project's main advantage lies in its use of advanced equipment, involving several consecutive protection barriers combined with passive and active security systems.

The reactors also incorporate specialized equipment to track, cool and localize core meltdowns beneath the reactor shell, and have a protection system against earthquakes, hurricanes, and crashed planes.

Two power units at Kudankulam have already withstood a tsunami thanks to specially designed wave barriers.

Russia and India will be able to start implementing the new agreement only after the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group, which controls nuclear exports and where Russia is a member, lifts its restrictions on India.

India, a confirmed nuclear power, has never been party to the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and has been under U.S., Japanese and European sanctions since 1998 when it first tested nuclear weapons, but the sanctions do not cover the agreement to build the first two reactors of Kudankulam because it was reached before the ban.

The bilateral agreement to build the four additional reactors for Kudankulam also contained New Delhi's obligation to keep Russia's nuclear reactors and nuclear fuel under the guarantees of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN nuclear watchdog, during their entire operational life. India has still to conclude an agreement on the guarantees with the agency.

SOURCE: RIA Novosti

DATE: Feb 12, 2007

Topics: NPP, Atomstroyexport, Asia, India