India, Russia Deal On Kudankulam Nuclear Plant Units 5, 6 Likely By Year End

The general framework agreement for the third stage (units 5 and 6) of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) in Tamil Nadu is expected to be signed by the end of December. The plant's blocks 3 and 4 (the second stage) would be commissioned in 2022 and 2023.

"So we are all working with Indian partners, NPCIL (Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd), and are approaching to sign the documents for the two new units (units 5 and 6) of the KNPP. We plan to sign documents in the nearest future. And by nearest I mean nearest," Deputy CEO for International Relations at Russian atomic energy corporation Rosatom, Nikolay Spassky, was quoted by IANS as saying. As for efficiency, Spassky asserted KNPP is India's best.

Construction of KNPP with Russian assistance is the largest joint project between the two countries in the field of energy. The first two 1,000 MW units are currently operational at Kudankulam. Unit 1 was connected to the grid on 22 October, 2013.

Vladimir Angelov of ASE Group, the engineering division of Rosatom, expressed the hope that the agreements would be inked by the end of this year. "First part of the job is negotiating the contract. I have just come back from Mumbai from these talks. We are rather optimistic that by the end of this year, the contracts for units 5 and 6 will be signed," Angelov was quoted as saying.

With inputs from IANS