THE CONTROVERSY-HIT Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) will start its production by the first week of December and the first tranche of entire 1,000 MW of power will go to Tamil Nadu, V Narayanasamy, the minister of state in the prime minister office (PMO) said on Friday (November 9).
He said enriched uranium has been fed in the core of the vessel and the lid was closed. “Now, the vessel is being pressurised. After that trial run will start. That will go for about 20 days. Thereafter the production is likely to start. Probably in the end of November or first week of December,” he said.
Citing letters from Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalitha to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on power shortage, Narayanasamy said the “entire 1,000 MW (of power from the plant) has to be given to Tamil Nadu”.
India’s atomic power plant operator, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited is setting up the plant at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli district.
Narayanasamy said the central government is getting support from ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (AIADMK) on the project. He said since law and order is a state subject, the state government has to support us for the purpose of providing security to the plant.
