After being stuck for months due to protests, the 1,000 MW Kudankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu built with Russian assistance will be commissioned in the next two months.
Minister of State in PMO V Narayanasamy said the 'cold run' of the power plant will begin in the presence of Atomic Energy Regulatory Commission officials within ten days time and the tests will go on for 15 days from then.
"After this, we will start the process of fuel loading which will be monitored by AERB officials for around 20 days. After these mandatory clearances, the plant will be ready for operational," he said in New Delhi.
"In the next two months, we will start production of 1,000 MW electricity from Kudankulam Power Plant," he said when asked for a time-frame for commissioning of the project.
Narayanasamy said the government will also initiate steps to commission the second nuclear reactor that would produce another 1,000 MW electricty within three months after the inauguration of the first plant.
The project has been held up due to protests in villages near-by Kudankulam in Tirunelvei district in the state over safety concerns, but the government has maintained all along that the plant was "very safe".
The Tamil Nadu government, which had sought suspension of the project in September last year, made a u-turn on Monday by giving the green signal for the project.
Narayanasamy said the Russian scientists, who have been in Kudankulam, have started work on the project after the Tamil Nadu Government gave the green signal.
"Even when the protests were being held, the maintenance work was being held inside the power plant," he said.
Narayanasamy said he spoke to Atomic Energy Commission chairman S K Banerjee the moment Tamil Nadu government decided to give its nod.
