Kudankulam is India’s first nuke Plant to produce 1,000 MW of power: Civil Services Mentor Magazine - September 2014

Kudankulam is India’s first nuke Plant to produce 1,000 MW of power

Nuclear power in India (Free Available)
India’s three-stage nuclear power programme (Full Material Only for Online Coaching Members)

Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant is a nuclear power station in Koodankulam in the Tirunelveli district of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The plant’s reactor is the first Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR) belonging to the Light Water Reactor (LWR) category in India, and the 21st nuclear power reactor in the country. Construction on the plant began on 31 March 2002, but faced several delays.

With this, the total nuclear energy contribution will increase to 5789 MW. Work on the Unit-first of Kudankulam Plant was completed in 2013. The original cost of the two units was Rs. 13,171 crore, but it was later revised to Rs. 17,270 crore. A credit of Rs. 6,416 crore was advanced by Russia to both the units- I and II of Kudankulam.

Plans for the Kudankulam facility were first drawn up in 1988. It was supposed to open in 2011 but it was delayed due to the large public protests. The project remained in limbo for a decade due to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and differences cropping up between India and Russia over the rupee-rouble repayment ratio. There were also objections from the United States, on the grounds that the agreement did not meet the 1992 terms of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

However, the project was revived on 1998, when a supplementary agreement to the earlier IGA was signed in New Delhi by the Russia and India. The move is considered to be a testament of Russian friendship with India, as it came within a month of India conducting five nuclear tests in May 1998 which led to international sanctions.

Nuclear power in India

Nuclear power is the fourth-largest source of electricity in India after thermal, hydroelectric and renewable sources of electricity. As of 2012, India has 20 nuclear reactors in operation in six nuclear power plants,having an installed capacity of 4780 MW and producing a total of 29,664.75 GWh of electricity. After fukushima accident several protests erupted against nuclear power plant in India as well. There have been mass protests against the French-backed 9900 MW Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project in Maharashtra and the Russian-backed 2000 MW Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu. The state government of West Bengal state has also refused permission to a proposed 6000 MW facility near the town of Haripur that intended to host six Russian reactors.

India’s three-stage nuclear power programme

Unlike the advanced countries where nuclear power came about as a spin-off from the development of the strategic programme and related military research, in India, nuclear energy development began with the objectives of improving the quality of life of the people and selfreliance in meeting their energy needs. The origin of the atomic energy programme in India can be traced unambiguously to a remarkably bold initiative taken by Homi Jehangir Bhabha. Sir Dorabji Tata Trust granted an initial financial approval for settingup the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Bombay, jointly with the Bombay Government.