Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant's Units 4 and 5 general framework to be signed this year

The general framework agreement for Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant's (KNPP) Units 4 and 5 would be signed this year while negotiations were underway over configuration of Units 5 and 6, a Russian firm designing the Tamil Nadu-based atomic plant said on Monday.

"We are planning to sign the general framework agreement for Units 4 and 5 this year," ASE Group President Valery Limarenko said.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the nuclear conference ATOMEXPO 2016 here, Livarenko said that his company had "defined" the configuration for units 5 and 6 and that "negotiations are on."

He did not disclose further details. As far as unit 3 and 4 are concerned, the groundbreaking ceremony for which was held earlier this year, he said that the contract had been "concluded" and design and manufacture of the "main equipment" had been commenced.

Earlier, fuel loading had been done in the second unit of the power plant early this month and according to the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) it was expected to attain its first criticality (Commercial operation) in June.

An Indo-Russian joint collaboration, KNPP has been opposed by local people, who had cited safety reasons for opposing the multi-million dollars project.

India and Russia had agreed to set up six VVER-1000 type reactors of 1000 MW each at Kudunkulam to be supplied by Rosatom State Corporation of Russia.