The Hindu : National : Koodankulam project civil construction almost over

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 16, 2005

National

National

Koodankulam project civil construction almost over

By T.S. Subramanian

A view of the first reactor building and its other facilities at Koodankulam in Tamil Nadu, which will start generating electricity in 2007. — Photo: A. Shaikmohideen

CHENNAI, MARCH 15. With 85 per cent of the civil construction complete for the first nuclear power reactor at the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP), things are pressing ahead for the 1,000 MWe unit to be started up in March 2007. The second reactor, which will also generate 1,000 MWe, will be commissioned in September 2007.

To achieve these schedules, Russia has agreed to speed up the supply of equipment and working documentation for both units. This was agreed to at the Indo-Russian joint coordination committee meeting for Koodankulam. The committee consists of top officials of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and the Russian nuclear companies involved in the execution of the gigantic project in Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu. The meeting took place from February 23 to 26 at Koodankulam.

While the 29-member Russian delegation was led by the Deputy Minister for Atomic Energy, I. Kamenskikh, and the former Deputy Minister, E.A. Reshetnikov, the NPCIL team was led by its Chairman and Managing Director, S.K. Jain, and the Project Director, KNPP, S.K. Agrawal.

The KNPP involves the construction of two reactors, VVER-1000.

While Russia will supply the designs and equipment for the two units, the NPCIL will construct them. The project is estimated to cost around Rs. 13,000 crores. The two reactors will use enriched uranium as fuel. Light water will be the moderator and coolant. Mr. Agrawal said the construction of the towering reactor and turbine buildings for the two units was on schedule. Initial delays with regard to the working documentation of the turbine buildings were no longer there. He said the Russian Minister was highly impressed with the speed of work at Koodankulam and "the spirit of hard work" that permeated the place.

"The site is ready for the erection of the equipment and the Russian Minister said he would ensure the timely arrival of the equipment and working documentation," Mr. Agrawal added.

It was agreed in the last joint coordination committee meeting in February 2004 that "top priority" should be given to constructing 36 buildings to house process equipment. These buildings had been built now and a few would be ready this month. If equipment were supplied from Russia, their full-fledged erection could get under way in the 36 buildings. Contractors for erection work relating to mechanical, electrical and instrumentation fields had been finalised.

A big building to house the 220-kV switchyard for receiving the power from both the reactors was ready. The Russian delegation had agreed to ensure early supply of equipment for installation there.

Pat for TNEB

Mr. Agrawal was all praise for the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) which would provide the start-up power for the switchyard. The TNEB had already awarded the work for the erection of transmission lines for the switchyard, with a loop-in and loop-out arrangement.

The construction of a 400-kV transmission line and a switchyard at Tirunelveli were being awarded in a separate package to the Power Grid Corporation Limited. "These would be completed well in time before the criticality of the first unit," he said. The Project Director was confident that the first unit would be started up in March 2007 and the second in September 2007. Tamil Nadu would receive a major portion of the power generated by both units. Karnataka, Kerala and Pondicherry would receive their share. Andhra Pradesh had decided to forego its share.

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