Agreement on final two units of Kudankulam likely by November

The General Framework Agreement for setting up Units 5 and 6 of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant is likely to be signed by November 2016, according to a top Russian official.

Sergei Kiriyenko, head of Russian State Corporation for Atomic Energy Rosatom, told journalists in Moscow: "The work is in progress. We can sign it this year in autumn."

Autumn refers to the time period between September to November.

The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant has been jointly built by India and Russia in Tamil Nadu.

The first unit started working on July 13, 2013. The second unit went critical on July 10 this year.

The work on the third and fourth reactors has also started at the site, which will have a total of six units of 1,000 MW each.

In an interview to IANS earlier this year Vladimir Angelov, Director for Projects in India for ASE, the Engineering and Construction Division of Rosatom, had said that in November 2015 the Russian party submitted the technical-commercial offer to India for Units 5 and 6.

According to Angelov, Kudankulam NPP is the world's first nuclear power plant which has implemented and successfully operated the increased security measures post-Fukushima.

"KNPP has been equipped with enhanced safety features. The reactors of the Kudankulam plant are protected from the impact of earthquake, tsunami, tornado and hurricanes", he said.

--IANS

ao/rn/bg