Unit-I of Kudankulam to start commercial production by year end

Unit-II should also attain critical stage by 2014 end

Unit-I of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) in Tamil Nadu, with 1,000 Mw, is expected to become fully operational in less than two months. The project is expected to begin commercial production by year end, according to a KNPP official.

R S Sundar, site director, said the unit was producing 680 Mw, 73 per cent of capacity. “We have applied for approvals from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board to increase it to 90 per cent and then to 100 per cent."

The power would be sold at Rs 3.50 a Kw, said Sundar. “The plant generated 1,136 million units. The unit was synchronised on October 22.”

After it’s fully operational, the nuclear power production in India would increase from 4,780 to 5,780 Mw.

The unit is the 20th nuclear power station under the Nuclear Power Corporation of India to be connected to the national power grid.

The project, which will have Russian reactors, is 650 km from Chennai. The total outlay is Rs 17,270 crore. Initially, the project was estimated at Rs 13,171 crore. But it went up to Rs 17,270 crore due to delays, rupee depreciation and others.

The construction of the first two units was halted in September 2011 after protests by villagers round the plant. Work resumed in March 2012.

Of the 2,000 MW to be generated from the plant, Karnataka would get 442, Tamil Nadu 925 Mw (including 10 per cent home state entitlement), Kerala 266 Mw and Puducherry 67 Mw. The other 300 Mw is yet to be allocated. KNPP is India's first pressurised water reactor belonging to the light-water reactor category.