Kudankulam second unit likely to go critical by June

AEC Chairman said the first unit would soon attain its full capacity

The 1000 MW second unit of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) is likely to attain criticality by June, nearly a year after the first reactor crossed the milestone, according to a top Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) official.

"The second unit of the Kudankulam plant will attain criticality by May or June this year," AEC Chairman Ratan Kumar Sinha told reporters at the airport here today.

The country's first 1,000 MW pressurised water reactor of the Indo-Russian joint venture project attained criticality (start of nuclear fission process) in July last year and commenced electricity generation in October. Presently it is producing over 400 mw.

Stating that the generation in the first unit will reach its full capacity soon, Sinha said Tamil Nadu would get "all of its share."

Referring to the anti-nuclear protests against KNPP in the last two years, he said the intensity had come down following efforts by authorities to educate people about the safety of the plant.

The commissioning of the plant was delayed considerably due to the protest spearheaded by the People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE).

Union Minister V Narayanasamy had last week said the second unit of the KKNPP would start generating electricity from September.