Russian N-reactors may not come to India soon

Four 1000 MW nuclear reactors that Russia promised to set up at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu may get delayed as the Nuclear Suppliers' Group scheduled to meet in South Africa in April is unlikely to take up their clearance.

The clearance of this project was to come up at the NSG meeting but now the proposed $7 billion Iran-India gas pipeline is likely to dominate the agenda, putting the nuclear reactors issue in the back-burner, top nuclear sources said on Monday.

Nuclear Power Corporation of India is already building two 1000 megawatt light water reactors at Kudankulam and Russian president Vladimir Putin promised to collaborate with India for setting four more such reactors there.

The two Russian reactors under-construction as per the earlier agreement are expected to be commissioned by 2008 and there is provision for setting four more 1000 MW plants at Kudankulam.

The NSG members also belong to Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and they are keener in taking up the Iran-India gas pipeline as some of the issues had to be ironed out, the sources told PTI.

Meanwhile, a 15-member delegation of International Nuclear Safety Group, who are also members of OECD and NSG, had a meeting in Mumbai last week. This was for the first time that INSAG meeting was held outside its headquarters in Vienna.

The delegation led by INSAG Chairman Richard Meserve gave detailed presentation on global nuclear renaissance and changing definition of world peace and its implication of enhancing nuclear safety and security.

International Atomic Energy Agency Deputy Director General T Taniguchi, who is also part of the 15-member INSAG delegation, said harmonisation and benchmarking is taking place in the area of nuclear safety and security in many countries and regions for global benefits and needs.

Both Meserve and Taniguchi met Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar to discuss on the security issues and persuaded India to join the joint convention on spent fuel.

When Taniguchi was asked by the media specifically on the NSG issue, he said, "We are talking about harmonisation of national regulatory approaches of the buyers and users."

"There is no free trade in nuclear equipments and technologies and it will be only controlled/restricted availability and IAEA will insist on harmonising regulatory activity of every buyer country with safety guidelines of IAEA, but refused to comment on NSG countries," he added.

Taniguchi, however, expressed happiness on India's regulatory Board's safety and security aspects, which fully harmonise with IAEA safety guidelines and India should play a crucial role in enhancing the nuclear safety and security issues around the globe.