Waiting for India to identify location for new NPP: Russia

Russia is waiting for India to identify the location of a new nuclear power plant where six power units of 1,200 mw each will be constructed under an Indo-Russian agreement, a senior Russian official said today.

"We are waiting for the Indian party to identify the location for the new NPP. These six units will be 1,200 mw each of VVER (Water-Water Energetic Reactor) type," Vladimir A Angelov, Director for Projects in India, State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM, said.

Addressing a select media conference of Indian journalists at the ongoing nuclear conference ATOMEXPO 2016, Angelov referred to the 2014 Strategic Vision for Strengthening Cooperation in Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy between India and Russia wherein the two countries had decided on setting up of 12 units over the next two decades.

According to the agreement, "both sides will strive to complete the construction and commissioning of not less than 12 units in the next two decades...towards this objective, the Indian side agrees to expeditiously identify a second site, in addition to Kudankulam (six units), for the construction of the Russian-designed nuclear power units in India." Rosatom is involved in the design and execution of six nuclear reactors in the Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu.

Responding to a question on the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) in Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu, Angelov said that it had generated 1,006 mw of power yesterday as against the capacity of 995 mw.

The reactor could generate upto 1,020 mw and "it is very important that we can generate that 25 mw of power for the Indian people," he said.

Yesterday, a Russian firm designing the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant said the general framework agreement for the plant's Units 4 and 5 would be signed this year while negotiations were underway over configuration of Units 5 and 6.

"We are planning to sign the general framework agreement for Units 4 and 5 this year," ASE Group President Valery Limarenko had said.