Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Koodankulam, a landmark in drive for sustainable energy

By Syed Muthahar

TIRUNELVELI March 30. Despite divergent views, the Koodankulam nuclear power project, being set up by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) in Tirunelveli district as an Indo-Russian joint venture, is considered a landmark in India's drive for sustainable energy.

The `first pour of concrete' to commence work on the main plant will be held at the plant site along the coast of the Gulf of Mannar on Sunday. It will take about five years and nine months for commercial operation of the first unit, to be followed by the second unit at an interval of one year.

The Rs. 14,000-crore project, which envisages the setting up of a 2 x 1000 MWe each VVER nuclear reactors, is one of the largest Indo-Russian joint ventures. The nuclear programme of the country was kicked off in 1969 and nuclear power has become essential for the country to cut down imports of oil and coal.

In order to increase the nuclear power share without affecting the country's indigenous programme, the Department of Atomic Energy has been pursuing the option of setting up of nuclear plants with foreign technology. The programme has been designed in a manner, which will not only help to increase the nuclear power share but also support the indigenous programme in the long-term.

The Government entered into an agreement with the erstwhile USSR in 1988, for the setting up of the Koodankulam project. The site was selected after evaluating 13 coastal and five inland areas in Tamil Nadu.

The Selection Committee considered not only the safety features but also environmental and social aspects. The site was cleared by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and various other statutory authorities.

The discussions on project implementation on the basis of technical cooperation started during the visit of the Russian President to India in 1993. Preparation of the detailed project report commenced in 1998. Russia agreed to extend a soft state credit of upto to $ 2,600 million, to meet part of the project cost.

This project is covered by International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards. The VVER reactors belong to the family of pressurised water reactors (PWRs) which are the predominant type in operation the world over. The VVER-1000 technology is the most modern third generation knowhow and is comparable to western designs. The plant design adhered to standard international safety systems.

Fears allayed

While fishermen of the coastal hamlets fear that fish life would be endangered and their activity curtailed, a few environmentalists and social organisations are still campaigning against the project and pleading with the Government to abandon it. However the people in the hinterland believe that the project will help to improve their economic condition. The NPCIL has time and again allayed the fears of fishermen

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