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Russia, India agree commercial terms of building 3rd and 4th Kudankulam reactors

As for the commissioning of the first Kudankulam reactor, the head of the Rosatom corporation, Sergei Kiriyenko said “it depends on the Indian side”

NEW DELHI, December 24 (Itar-Tass) — Russia and India have agreed the commercial terms of building a third and fourth reactor at India’s nuclear power plant Kudankulam in the southern state of Tamilnadu, the head of the Rosatom corporation, Sergei Kiriyenko, said on the sidelines of President Vladimir Putin’s official visit to India.

“Earlier, we concluded an agreement to extend a loan to India for building the third and fourth reactor. The technical parameters have been coordinated,” he said.

As for the commissioning of the first Kudankulam reactor, Kiriyenko said “it depends on the Indian side.”

“We have completed the construction of the first power unit,” he said. “Tune-up and adjustment work is in progress there. The time gap between the commissioning of the first and second units will be about seven months.”

Kiriyenko recalled that Kudankulam was the world’s safest nuclear power plant.

In March the government of the state of Tamilnadu made a decision to resume the NPP construction in defiance of mass protests. Preparations for the reactor’s launch began in September 2011, however, after demonstrations by opponents of nuclear power, who blocked the road leading to the construction site the regional authorities made a decision to suspend all work until the public’s fears over NPP have been shattered.

The first Kudankulam reactor began to be built under an inter-state agreement of November 20, 1988 and an addendum to it of June 21, 1998. The nuclear power corporation of India is the client. It is also responsible for conducting construction, assembly and tune-up and adjustment work at the NPP site and for commissioning the power plant. In 2008 the governments of India and Russia agreed on the construction of extra reactors at the Kudankulam site, and also on building NPPs at several other sites.