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PM Modi, Vladimir Putin, Jayalalithaa raise KKNPP-1

Five more nuclear reactors, which will generate 1,000 MW each, are being planned at the existing KKNPP, PM said.

KUDANKULAM: Five more nuclear reactors, which would generate 1,000 MW each, are being planned at the existing Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP), Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday as he dedicated the first unit of the mega power plant here along with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Doing the honours through video conferencing in New Delhi and Moscow respectively, Mr Modi and Mr Putin termed the nuclear plant as a “fine example of special and privileged Indo-Russian strategic partnership.”

Five more nuclear reactors, which will generate 1,000 MW each, are being planned at the existing KKNPP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday.

“And, it is only a start of our collaboration in this field. It is perhaps not commonly known that at 1,000 mega watt, Kundankulum 1 is the largest single unit of electrical power in India. In years ahead, we are determined to pursue an ambitious agenda of nuclear power generation. At Kudankulam alone, five more units of 1,000 MW each are planned. In our journey of cooperation, we plan to build a series of bigger nuclear power units,” the Prime Minister said in his address.

Mr Putin said the unit has been built using most advanced Russian technology incorporating highest safety standards while Modi asserted that India was determined to pursue an ambitious agenda of nuclear power generation.
Joining the event from Chennai, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa said KKNPP was a “monument commemorating the long standing, abiding and deep friendship between Russia and India and that she had supported implementation of the project.

“The dedication of the KKNPP is a major milestone in Indo-Russian cooperation. Throughout my 10 years in office as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu I have always extended support to the implementation of the Kudankulam project while at the same time laying focus on allaying the fears of the local people by convincing them about its safety,” she said.

Jointly built by Nuclear Power Corporation of India and Russia’s Rosatom, the first unit of the power plant began generating electricity two years behind the schedule due to vociferous protests from anti-nuclear activists and local people who claimed the project was unsafe.

Though the agreement for the ambitious power project was inked in 1989 during the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure, actual work on the plant began only in 1997.

“The success of our joint efforts in nuclear power generation is a proud achievement of our cooperation. It demonstrates our common resolve to keep our ties firm and steady.

Above all, it showcases your personal commitment, consistent support and strong leadership in transforming the substance and character of our relationship,” he said.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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