Kudankulam set to go on stream by March 2010

A consignment of dummy fuel has arrived from Russia marking a crucial development in the commissioning of the 2X1,000 MW Kudankulam nuclear power project. The fuel arrived through Tuticorin port and has already reached the plant in Kudankulam village in Tirunelveli district. “The dummy fuel, similar to real fuel in terms of weight and other features, but without uranium, is used for checking all parameters of the reactors,” SK Jain, chairman, Nuclear Power Corporation of India said. The dummy fuel would be used instead of uranium to test the functioning of the systems, technically termed the status of cold and hot commissioning. Once this process is completed, the actual fuel loading will begin in December/January and Unit I will attain criticality by March 2010, said Jain. He said the uranium required for charging the unit one and two had arrived from Russia. The fuel required for reload for the next five years would be sent by Russia soon. “Within eight to 10 months of the first unit being commissioned, the second unit too will go critical,” said Jain. The commissioning of the two units of the nuclear power project, for which the original agreement was signed in 1988, will mark an important milestone in India’s nuclear programme.