Irrespective of protests for setting up Kudankulam Nuclear plant in Tamil Nadu, the two units of 1,000 MW of the project would be completed in the current financial year, reiterated V. Narayanasamy, Minister of State at Prime Minister's Office.
“The Government and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) reached out to protesting people. The issues raised by them have been addressed comprehensively. The Tamil Nadu State expert committee concluded that the plant is safe. Work is now in full swing and all efforts are being made to commission the first unit at earliest,” Narayanasamy said at 4th Nuclear Conclave organised by India Energy Forum.
Narayanasamy blamed the NGOs for spreading false information and accused them of ‘vested interests’.
India, after completion of seven new projects under construction, will have 10,080 MW of nuclear capacity by 2017, the Minister said, adding that safety is the Government's foremost consideration and the country's energy sources in the future would be nuclear and coal.
Currently, 20 nuclear reactors in India generate about 4,780 MW power. This constitutes nearly 2.9 per cent of total installed base.
The Winter Session of Parliament that is expected to begin from November 21 is likely to take up the Nuclear Safety Regulatory Authority Bill. This would accord statutory to the regulatory authority, said Narayanasamy.
S.A. Bhardwaj, Director (Technical) of NPCIL (that is commissioning the Kudankulum power plant), said that the Kudankulam Nuclear plant is two steps away from achieving the critical phase. Every step is taken up and reports are submitted to the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB). The project is set up in collaboration with Russia.
The first step was to fill the fuel. Second is to close the cap and now we are going for the third step.
"We are ready to go critical. This may happen anytime,” Bhardwaj said.
NPCIL targets to set up six new units of nuclear power generators at Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan during the 12th Five year Plan period.
Asked if NPCIL can achieve 12th Plan targets, K.C. Purohit, Chairman and Managing Director of the company said, "That is our job."
NPCIL will seek Government nod for the Haryana project in next six months for which land has already been acquired, Bhardwaj said.
NPCIL would submit its proposal to Department of Atomic Energy and the final nod would be given by the Union Cabinet. The Haryana unit is being set up by NPCIL in joint venture with NTPC.
NPCIL is in talks to rope in joint venture partners for its proposed units in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, Bhardwaj said.