India, Russia finally sign agreement on Kudankulam 3, 4 units

[Aarush]

NEW DELHI: After years of deadlock on liability issue, India and Russia have signed an agreement for building units 3 and 4 of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant project (KKNPP) at a cost of Rs 33,000 crore.

The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) signed a general framework agreement (GFA) with its Russian counterpart on Thursday, sources said here today.

However, some permissions are required from Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AREB) before work on the project could actually start, they said.

Units 3 and 4 of the KKNPP have stuck over the "Right to Recourse" clause of the Civil Liability Nuclear Damage Act 2010 (CLND) as the Russians have been apprehensive over it.

In October last year, the deal could not be signed over the same issue when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Russia due to lack consensus over the issue between both the countries.

However, the issue has been sorted out after hectic negotiations.

Last month, DAE secretary R K Singh along with other senior officers of the department had a meeting here with the Russian counterparts in which the breakthrough was made.

Things were expedited and the proposal was moved before the Cabinet Committee on Security last month. The atomic energy department wanted to seek permission of the Election Commission as polls were declared a week later.

"We wanted to play safe and did not want any kind of hurdle as the project has already been delayed for a long time," the sources said.

"KKNPP 1 and 2 also got commissioned during the Manmohan Singh tenure and the government wanted this agreement to be signed at the earliest," the sources added.

India, Russia finally sign agreement on Kudankulam 3, 4 units - The Times of India

 

[jarves]

Great news Indeed.

 

[Hindustani78]

Department of Atomic Energy
25-February, 2015 18:00 IST

Unit 3 and 4 of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project under preparation for launch in 2015-16

The Unit 3 and 4 of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP 3&4) with 2x1000 MW capacity is being prepared for launch in 2015-16. The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project Unit-1 (KKNPP 1) with 1,000 MW capacity has been commissioned recently while the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project Unit-2 (KKNPP-2) with 1,000 MW capacity is under commissioning.

The Government in July 2014 had set a target of tripling the then existing nuclear power capacity of 4780 MW in the next ten years viz. 2024. Various sites have been given “In-principle” approval for additional reactors to be set up in future. Currently these sites are under pre-project activities which include land acquisition, obtaining Environmental clearances, evaluation of techno commercial offers in respect of Light Water Reactors (LWRs) to be set up with foreign technical cooperation. Some of these projects include Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project (JNPP 1&2), Kaiga (5&6) and Mahi Banswara (1&2) among others.

The safety being an ongoing process, constant review of safety aspects effecting necessary upgrades thereof in line with the evolving safety standards at par with the best international standards is a regular practice in Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL).

This information was provided by MoS in the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, PG & Pensions, Dr Jitendra Singh in a written reply to Lok Sabha today.

*****

 

[Hindustani78]

By PTI | 15 Mar, 2015, 08.17PM IST
Work for third and fourth units in Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project to begin in April 2016 - The Economic Times

By PTI | 15 Mar, 2015, 08.17PM IST

THIRUVANNAMALAI: The first phase of the work for setting up the third and fourth units of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project would begin in April 2016.

"Next year in April-May the first phase of the work will begin. After that work for fifth and sixth units will begin. The setting up of third and fourth units will begin adjacent to the existing two units itself", KNPP Station Director R S Sundar said here on the the sidelines of a function.

India and Russia had signed an agreement for building units three and four of the KNPP at a cost of Rs 33,000 crore.

To a query whether there was enough land available, he said "We have enough land available for setting up all the six units at the existing place itself".

The first 1000 MWe unit at the Indo-Russian joint venture, which faced prolonged protests from anti-nuclear activists, commenced its commercial operations in December last year.

The second 1,000 MWe unit has got clearance for the hot run from Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and currently undergoing "hot run" (releasing of steam into atmosphere).

 

[Hindustani78]

KNPP Unit 2 to generate power by Aug

Chennai, March 30, 2015, DHNS
The second unit of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) is likely to generate electricity by August 2015, as officials are preparing to load real fuel in its reactor.

"The steam flow path and steam relief devices have been tested successfully during the hot run process. Dummy fuel loading will continue for another one week", KNPP Site Director R S Sundar told Deccan Herald on Sunday, adding that the dummy fuel would be removed and real fuel will be loaded soon after securing clearance from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB). Like Unit 1, reactor at the second unit will also be loaded with fuel assemblies containing Uranium Oxide.

 

[magudi]

Way to go

 

[Soumitra]

We must work to get all these rectors starting soon

 

[Dr. Sen]

Good news!

 

[Hindustani78]

Updated: April 9, 2015 17:03 IST
Senior officials to study Kudankulam nuclear plant
K SRINIVASA RAO
Comment · print · T T

Senior officials to study Kudankulam nuclear plant - The Hindu

Srikakulam Collector P. Lakshmi Narasimham and Joint Collector Vivek Yadav left for Kudankulam and Kalpakam atomic power projects in Tamil Nadu on the invitation from Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited.

Their visit assumed significance as NPCIL intensified its efforts for establishment of nuclear power project in Kovvada of Ranasthalm, Srikakulam district.

Sources say, both the senior officials will get acquainted with the nuclear power technology and land acquisition policy adopted during the construction of Kudankulam project which had been operational for the last two years. NPCIL Kovvada project head G.V. Ramesh reportedly accompanied the Collector and Joint Collector.

The corporation needed around 2,000 acres of land but could not acquire the private land though the Government's land was identified for the project. The State Government will officially hand over around 1,000 acres very soon.

The Revenue Department is expected to give another notification for acquisition of private land since the earlier notification lapsed due to procedural delay. Left parties strongly demanded that public hearing should be conducted before acquiring the land from identified villages including Kovvada and china kovvada villages of Ranasthalam mandal.

 

[Hindustani78]

Russia in talks with India for transfer of technologies in other fields | Zee News

Moscow: Russian nuclear corporation Rosatom is in talks with India on transfer of other nuclear technologies in other fields while the second 1,000 MW atomic power unit at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu is expected to be commissioned soon, said a senior official.


"Rosatom has nuclear technologies that are used in other fields. We have sterlisation technologies for medical equipments and irradiation technologies. Talks with India are on," K.B. Komarov, first deputy general director, development and international business, said here on Sunday.

He was speaking to the reporters here at the 7th ATOMEXPO 2015 held here.

According to him, the second 1,000 MW nuclear power unit at Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) is to be commissioned soon.

Officials of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) and Rosatom told IANS that the dummy fuel in the second unit will be removed soon and the real uranium fuel assemblies is expected to be load in two months time.

The dummy fuel assemblies, made of lead instead of uranium are the exact replica of the actual nuclear fuel assemblies, both in dimension and weight.

The first pour of concrete for the 3rd and 4th 1,000 MW units at KNPP is expected to happen soon.

India's atomic power plant operator NPCIL is building two reactors with Russian equipments at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu's Tirunelveli district, around 650 km from Chennai.

The first unit has started generating power while the commissioning of the second unit is expected to happen soon.

Over a period of time India is likely to buy equipments for 12 such units.

Queried about the local content in the 3rd and 4th units and also in others, Komarov said India is not a new comer for the nuclear energy sector and already lot of localisation is happening.

"We have number of proposals being discussed with India," he added.

Incidentally, Atomenergomash, a Russian engineering company is in talks with four Indian companies for a joint venture.

"Talks are on with four major Indian companies for setting up operations in India and nothing has been finalised," Andrey Nikipetov, general director, Atomenergomash told IANS.


IANS

 

[Hindustani78]

Kundankulam nuclear plant shut down for annual maintenance | Zee News
Last Updated: Wednesday, June 24, 2015 - 12:51
Chennai: The first 1,000 MW unit at Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) will be shut down on Wednesday for annual maintenance and refuelling activities, said Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL).


RS Sundar, site director of KNPP, said in a statement that the first unit will be shut down for a period of 60 days for annual maintenance and refuelling.

He said the unit will resume generation of 1,000 MW after these activities.

According to atomic energy officials, a third of the fuel pins have to be changed every year.

As to the status of second unit at the KNPP, Sundar said test reports of the hot run have been submitted to the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) for review.

The NPCIL has set up two 1,000 MW nuclear power plants at Kudankulam in Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu which is around 650 km from here.

Both the units are supplied by Russian company Rosatom.

The first unit was connected to the southern grid in December 2014 and is now operating at around 60 percent capacity.

According to NPCIL, the second unit at Kudankulam has achieved a physical progress of 98.23 percent as on May 2015.

IANS

 

[Hindustani78]

Russian reactor shell with 120 years life may be used in Kudankulam | Zee News
Last Updated: Monday, July 20, 2015 - 23:08


Chennai: Russia has developed an extra strong nuclear power reactor shell that can increase the reactor life up to 120 years and which can also be used in reactors to be set up in Tamil Nadu`s Kudankulam.


"After a considerable research effort, the Central Research Institute for Machine Building Technology (a subsidiary of Atomenergomash, Rosatom`s nuclear engineering division) has developed a new, ultra-pure steel grade for the VVER-TOI core shell," Russian nuclear power corporation Rosatom said in a statement on Monday.

"The pilot shell was produced at OMZ SpetsStal with technological support from OMZ Izhora, which also did the testing of the new material," it added.

The extra-strong shell for the VVER-TOI reactor has been for the first time produced in Russia to increase the reactor vessel life up to 120 years.

The extra strength of the reactor shell is attributed to a new nickel-alloy steel grade, said Alexander Romashkin, the acting deputy director of the Metallurgy and Engineering Institute affiliated with the Central Research Institute for Machine Building Technology.

To manufacture the shell, a 420-ton ingot was cast for the first time after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The ingot was then forged into a record-large shell, 6m high and 4.5m in diameter. As it has no weld seams, it will be used as a part of the reactor vessel which is most intensively bombarded by neutrons.

Extension of the reactor vessel life is a key trend in the nuclear power industry.

While the reactors operated in Russia have a service life of 60 years, new VVER-1200 reactors to be installed at Novovoronezh NPP and Leningrad NPP-2 will work for 100 years.

Achievements of the Central Research Institute for Machine Building Technology will make reactors live more.

"Development of the new steel grade proves that OMZ SpetsStal, supported by the Central Research Institute for Machine Building Technology, is now able to produce reactor shells of required dimensions and properties," Romashkin was quoted as saying in the statement.

No decision has been made yet where to use the reactor shell.

"It can be used in any VVER-TOI reactor vessel, including those to be installed at Akkuyu and Kudankulam nuclear power plants", he adds.

In Russia, VVER-TOI reactors will be installed at Kursk NPP-2 (by 2020-2022) and Smolensk NPP-2 (by 2027). VVER-TOI reactors will give Rosatom a competitive advantage over its global peers.

The next step will be to set up production of reactor shells at Energomashspetsstal (a subsidiary of Atomenergomash, Rosatom`s nuclear engineering division). This is a plant where a pilot VVER-TOI shell was produced a year ago. The pilot shell was shipped to Atommash in Volgodonsk.

IANS

 

[Hindustani78]

Department of Atomic Energy
05-August, 2015 16:13 IST
License for regular operation

The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) on July 10, 2015 granted license for regular operation of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project Unit-1 (KKNPP-1) which is valid for five years (till July, 2020).

AERB has carried out extensive review of the safety aspects of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant Unit-1, including siting, design, construction, commissioning and power operation. The safety reviews carried out by AERB followed a multi-tier review process, which was done over several years. The reviews were carried out considering the safety requirements specified by AERB which are consistent with current international safety requirements including those stipulated by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Thus, KKNPP satisfies the requirements specified by AERB as well as the current international standards.

This information was given by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh in reply to unstarred question in Lok Sabha today.

 

[Hindustani78]

Work on units 3, 4 at Kudankulam to begin this year: Govt | Zee News
Last Updated: Thursday, August 6, 2015 - 17:27
New Delhi: Work on units 3 and 4 of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) will start this year as administrative approval and financial sanction has been accorded to the project, the government on Thursday said.

"Kudankulam expansion project, namely KKNPP units 3 and 4, built with technical cooperation with Russia, is accorded administrative approval and financial sanction by the government.

"The project is being readied for launch in the current year," Jitendra Singh, Minister of State in the PMO that looks after the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), said in a written response to a question in Rajya Sabha.

In response to another question, Singh also said that the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) unit 1 that has been granted license for regular operation was recently granted license for commercial operations for a period of five years, until July 2020.

The KKNPP projects are being built with Russian help with a capacity of 1,000 MW of each unit. Unit 1 has already been commissioned for commercial operation while the second unit is waiting to be commissioned.

PTI

 

[Hindustani78]

Kudankulam n-reactor to restart generation in December
Chennai, Oct 27, 2015, (IANS):

India's atomic power company Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) is likely to restart its first 1,000 MW unit at Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) only in December this year, said a source.

The source, not wanting to be named, told IANS: "The first unit is expected to restart generation only in December. The second unit may take longer time to start power generation."

The NPCIL is building two 1,000 MW atomic power plants with Russian equipment at an outlay of over Rs.17,000 crore.


The first unit was connected to the southern grid in December 2014. The unit was operating at 60 percent capacity for some time before it was shut down for annual maintenance.

At the time of its shut down in June, NPCIL said the unit will restart after 60 days post annual maintenance and refuelling.


According to Power System Operation Corporation Ltd (PSOC), the KNPP first unit is expected to restart power generation on October 30. But this deadline is expected to be breached again.

Atomic Energy Commission chairman Sekhar Basu recently told IANS that as per current indications, the first KNPP unit is expected to restart later this year and the second unit would go on stream sometime next year.

He also said the restart of the first unit may happen this December.
Basu said lot of checks have to be carried out as the first KNPP unit was shut down for the first time since it started generating power.

Despite the unit being first of its kind in the country and that it has been shut down regularly, the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) this year issued a five year operating licence for the plant.

Normally AERB issues operating licence for a year if the plant is first of its kind in the country and based on the test reports the licence would be renewed, an NPCIL official told IANS earlier.

Despite several attempts by IANS, KNPP's site director R.S. Sundar was not available for clarifications.