ST PETERSBURG, May 22. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia and India have signed a general framework agreement to build the third and fourth units of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant, Rosatom director-general has said.

Earlier, Indian mass media reported on the signing of the agreement.

“We’ll be able to settle all disagreements. On April 19 the agreement was signed,” Sergei Kiriyenko said on Thursday.

In early May the Kudankulam nuclear power plant's first unit reached 90% of its operating capacity.

After the permission is gotten it will reach full capacity (1,000 MWt).

India has approved a large-scale programme for developing nuclear power engineering. Till 2017 nineteen nuclear power plants’ units with the capacity of 17,400 MWt are planned to be built. Eight units will be constructed with the participation of other countries.

In 2010 Russia and India signed a roadmap for building up to 14-16 Russian-design power units in India.

The Kudankulam nuclear power plant being built with Russia’s assistance can withstand a strong earthquake or tsunami, members of the government committee for the evaluation of the nuclear power plant's safety said.

However the commissioning of the first stage of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant scheduled for late 2011 was delayed by mass protests that demanded its closure.

India is planning to build 19 nuclear power units with a combined capacity of 17,400 MWe by 2017. Eight of them will be built in cooperation with other countries. Russia will help to build units 3 and 4 at the Kudankulam nuclear power plant. Each will have a capacity of 1,000 MWt.

The construction of Unit 2 is almost completed. Rosatom Head Kiriyenko said earlier that Unit No. 2 would be commissioned by the summer of 2013. “All the rest depends on when the Indian side makes the decision,” he added.

He also said that the coordination of commercial terms of building units 3 and 4 at the Kudankulam nuclear power plant had been completed. “We earlier signed an agreement on a loan to India to build Units 3 and 4. The technical parameters have also been approved,” he said.

The Kudankulam NPP will supply electricity not only to the state of Tamil Nadu, where it is located, but also the whole south of India.