'Kudankulam unit 1 operations now India's responsibility'

The responsibility to operate Unit 1 of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, India's largest nuclear power generation unit has been entrusted fully to it, the Russian firm that built the joint venture plant, said on Thursday.

The Moscow-based ASE Group of Companies, a subsidiary of ROSATOM State Atomic Energy Corporation said the entrusting of the responsibility to India follows signing of a joint statement by it and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India yesterday, confirming the fulfillment of all warranty terms and obligations of the overseas contractor.

"By signing the document, the Russian and the Indian sides confirmed fulfillment of all warranty terms and obligations of the contractor (ASE Group of Companies) for the construction of the Unit 1," ASE Group said in a release here today.

"The warranty period run showed reliable and safe operation of the Unit 1. Thus, the Indian side confirms that ASE Group of Companies, which is general contractor, has fulfilled all its tasks in full and accurately," said ASE Vice-President Andrei Lebedev for its South Asia projects.

"The onward operations of Unit 1 is totally within the responsibility of the Indian side," he added.

The commercial operation and the warranty period of Unit 1 of KNPP started in December 2014, the release said adding the second unit of KNPP began its commercial operation on March 31 this year.

KNPP units I and II, both with a capacity of 1000 MW, have been built with Russian collaboration. Units III and IV are under construction.

The first two units are the largest nuclear power generation units in the country.