Jayalalithaa demands 1,000 MW power from Kudankulam unit
August 19th, 2012 - 1:46 pm ICT by IANS
Chennai, Aug 19 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa has reiterated her demand for the entire power generated by the first unit of two 1,000 MW Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) for the state.
In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the chief minister cited the imminent loading of the fuel in the first reactor.
“May I take this opportunity to remind you of my earlier request and expect a quick response? I am sure you will appreciate my state’s justified demand in this matter and convey a positive response soon.”
Reminding Manmohan Singh of her earlier requests, Jayalalithaa expressed her dismay that the correspondence had evoked no response from him.
India’s atomic power plant operator Nuclear Power Corp of India Ltd (NPCIL) is building two reactors with Russian equipments at Kudankulam in Tirunelveli district, around 650 km from here.
Work at the project had come to a standstill in August last year after villagers, fearing a nuclear accident, mounted a mass protest under People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy banner.
With the resumption of work in March this year, the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) gave its nod to NPCIL to load the fuel Aug 10.
Meanwhile, the NPCIL armed with the AERB’s nod to load the 163 enriched uranium fuel bundles in the first reactor unit is working feverishly and with double caution to power the reactor before this month end.
“The reactor will attain criticality in two weeks time from the date of loading the fuel. In two days power generation would go up to 25 percent (400 MW) of the reactor’s capacity,” a senior official of NPCIL told IANS.
Gradually the power production will be increased and full power generation is expected to happen January next year.
Even 400 MW power from the KNPP will be of great relief for Tamil Nadu suffering from severe power shortage, a senior official at Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corp Ltd (TANGEDCO) told IANS.
He said if 400 MW power comes from KNPP, then the state capital would be free of power cuts.
- Kudankulam project gets Madras High Court's green signal (Lead) - Aug 31, 2012
- Atomic regulator's nod for fuel loading at Kudankulam (Lead) - Sep 21, 2012
- With atomic regulator's nod, Kudankulam reactor being fuelled (Second Lead) - Sep 21, 2012
- Major pre-fuel loading exercise over at Kudankulam - Sep 12, 2012
- Anti-nuclear activists to continue protests at Kudankulam - Aug 11, 2012
- Kudankulam to comply with AERB stipulations - Sep 17, 2012
- AERB clears fuel loading in Kudankulam nuclear reactor - Aug 10, 2012
- Atomic regulator gives fuel loading clearance for Kudankulam - Sep 21, 2012
- Kudankulam safe but fuel loading permission not given: Atomic panel - Sep 13, 2012
- Kudankulam reactor may get one year operational licence - Sep 08, 2012
- Atomic regulatory team inspecting Kudankulam reactor - Sep 10, 2012
- Kudankulam reactor to be fuelled around Sep 11, protestors to intensify stir - Sep 07, 2012
- Petitions against Kudankulam reactors dismissed by Madras High Court - Aug 31, 2012
- Kudankulam reactor to be fuelled mid-August - Aug 05, 2012
- Dusting, housekeeping major initial job at Kundankulam - Mar 21, 2012
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