16 March 2010 - India has agreed a ‘roadmap’ outlining plans to build more nuclear power plants with the use of Russian reactor technology.
NucNet reported India’s Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) as saying the roadmap outlines timelines for steps to be taken for the construction of units 3 and 4 at the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in the state of Tamil Nadu in the south of India. The roadmap also provides for the construction units 5 and 6 at Kudankulam and two reactors at Haripur in West Bengal in eastern India.
Two Russian VVER-1000 reactor units are already under construction at Kudankulam. According to the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL), those units are scheduled to begin commercial operation in September 2010 and March 2011. The roadmap includes plans for a progressive shift to Indian-based for reactors to be constructed in collaboration with Russia beyond the level already being planned for Kudankulam-3 and 4.
In December 2009, both countries signed an agreement to increase civilian nuclear energy cooperation that is likely to see Russia building four nuclear reactor units at Kudankulam in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.
The Los Angeles Times reports that the Indian government’s effort to place a $385m cap on liability for construction and operation of new nuclear plants was frozen by the government’s decision to withdraw the bill rather than face a showdown with left-wing parties. The action is a setback for US firms seeking to enter the Indian nuclear market, especially GE-Hitachi, which has plans to open a nuclear reactor components manufacturing centre in India for domestic projects and exports.
Bloomberg reported that if the legislation is not passed, it will lock US firms out of the Indian nuclear market which expects to build 20 GW of electrical generation capacity by 2030. According to wire service reports, Indian Science & Technology Minister Prithviraj Chavan said he needed to reevaluate support for the measure. "There is no urgency to introduce the bill."
