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India to negotiate with Russia for more reactors

T.S. Subramanian

CHENNAI: India will soon start negotiating with Russia on the construction of four more nuclear power reactors at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu (Kudankulam-3,4,5 and 6).

“We want to finalise the contract in the next six to eight months,” said S.K. Jain, Chairman and Managing Director, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL).

“We have conveyed to our Russian counterparts that if the contract is in place in the next six to eight months, the groundwork [excavation] for the construction of the third and fourth units at Kudankulam can start next year [2009] itself,” he added.

India would also negotiate with Russia for the supply of 2,000 tonnes of natural uranium to Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) in India, which would be put under safeguards.

Mr. Jain said, “Russia’s desire is to have long-term strategic relationship with India in nuclear power capability.”

Asked in what form Russia would supply the natural uranium fuel to the indigenous PHWRs, he replied, “It will be either in the form of yellow-cake or fuel pellets.”

During Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s visit to India on December 4 and 5, the two countries signed an inter-governmental agreement for building four more Russian reactors at Kudankulam in Tirunelveli district. Two Russian reactors, each with a capacity of 1,000 MWe each, are already under construction at Kudankulam. While Russia is supplying the entire equipment for the first two reactors (Kudankulam 1 and 2), the NPCIL is building them. The capacity of Kudankulam-3, 4, 5 and 6 could be 1,000 MWe each or 1,170 MWe each.

Another site on the eastern coast would be allotted to Russia for the construction of six more Russian reactors.

Mr. Jain said: “While we will negotiate for 3, 4, 5 and 6, work will start on 3 and 4 only because it is difficult to build four reactors simultaneously. It involves enormous manpower, construction material and so on. With our experience in building the first two reactors (Kudankulam-1 and 2), we will aim at completing 3 and 4 in less than five years.”

Loading of enriched uranium fuel bundles into the first reactor at Kudankulam would begin in March/April, 2009. It would be commissioned around June 2009. Enriched uranium in the form of ready-to-load fuel bundles had already arrived at Kudankulam from Russia. The Kudankulam reactors will use enriched uranium as fuel, and light water as both coolant and moderator.

The 2,000 tonnes of natural uranium from Russia, which would arrive either in the form of yellow cake or fuel pellets, would be ultimately converted into fuel assemblies at the Nuclear Fuel Complex, Hyderabad. (Shortage of natural uranium has hobbled the capacity factor of the PHWRS in India, which are now operating below 50 per cent compared to 90 per cent four years ago).

Besides Russia, India had begun discussions with Areva of France to supply natural uranium for the Indian PHWRs. Cogema of France, another fuel supplier and a few companies in the U.S., were on the radar.

Asked which was the additional site allotted to Russia for building six more reactors — whether it was Kovvada in Andhra Pradesh, Pati Sonepur in Orissa or Haripur in West Bengal, he said, “It will be Government of India’s decision. It is not fair on my part to talk about it.”

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