Kudankulam N-plant to be commissioned by Dec 2008

India's first 1,000 MW nuclear power plant built with Russian aid at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu is expected to be commissioned by December 2008 despite delays in the delivery of some key equipment.

"All efforts are being made by the Indian side to ensure that unit-I is completed in or before December 2008," Nuclear Power Corporation of India's project director S K Agarwal said on Wednesday.

"Though all major equipment, including pressure vessels have been received, those materials which were delayed have started coming from the Russian Federation and the situation will be under control shortly," he told PTI.

"The reactor of Kudankulam unit 1 was earlier scheduled to be commissioned in December 2007. There has been a delay in respect of certain materials urgently required for sequential construction activities, which are in a large quantity and require longer time," Agarwal said.

The pressure vessel of one of the reactors was installed early this year, he said.

Agarwal said, however, other construction activities are on at Kudankulam and NPCIL is preparing itself to build the next two units of Russian VVER-type reactors in Kudankulam, for which a memorandum has been signed with Russia.

India will acquire a few more reactors from Russia in the near future and sites to erect these are currently being selected, he said.

The 'site activities' for four 700 MW pressurised heavy water reactors are underway according to schedule at Kakrapar in Gujarat and in Rajasthan, he said.

Permission for long-delivery items and advanced procurement process has been given and work in that direction will be carried out in the coming months under the 11th Five Year Plan, he said.