Indo-Russian Nuclear Reactor to Be Ready By December 2008 – Official

Text of report by Indian news agency PTI

Madurai [in Tamil Nadu state, southern India], 16 October: The first unit of Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project, an Indo-Russian joint venture, would be ready by December 2008 and would be able to supply power at highly competitive rates, a top official has said.

There were some delays in bringing in some spares, but the first reactor would be completed by December 2008 and the second one in another six months, S.K. Jain, managing director of Nuclear Power Corporation of India, told reporters.

The project would be able to supply electricity at highly competitive rates ranging from two rupees to two rupees and fifty paisa [one rupee equals 100 paisa; one US dollar equals about 39 rupees], he said at Tirunelveli, about 150 km from here, after a 30- member Russian delegation visited the site on Saturday last [12 October].

When the work started in 2002, it was said that the cost of power would come to three rupees a unit, but now it was estimated that it would not be above two rupees and fifty paisa, he said.

The Russian delegation held discussions on the progress of the 140bn-rupee project, he said.

The construction of the building for the project in Tirunelveli district had been completed and now the equipments were being welded, he said.

Indian experts are carrying out the welding works, he said, adding that some special metals being used in the plant were indigenously manufactured. The Russian experts who visited the plant expressed satisfaction over the quality of the metals, he added.

Russian firm Atomstoryexport, which is executing the intergovernmental agreement on the construction of nuclear-power reactors, was training the personnel, besides supplying various equipments.

Originally published by PTI news agency, New Delhi, in English 0749 16 Oct 07.

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