Russia delivers fuel for Kudankulam
27 May 2008
The first consignment of fuel from Russia for unit 1 of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu, India, was delivered on 25 May. The plant - consisting of two 1000 MWe VVER reactors - is being constructed under a bilateral agreement between India and Russia. Russia will supply all the enriched fuel, though India will reprocess it and keep the plutonium. Construction of the Kudankulam plant started in 2002. The general contractor for the project is Russia's AtomStroyExport (ASE). Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) said that the plant was now 86% complete and that pre-commissioning activities had already started. Unit 1 of the Kudankulam plant is scheduled to begin commercial operation in June 2009, while unit 2 should start up in March 2010. Russia and India earlier signed an agreement for an additional four 1000 MWe reactors at Kudankulam, as well as other nuclear energy related projects in India.