Kudankulam nuclear plant expansion deferred

The NPCIL is having a hard time obtaining a final clearance for units three to six of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Projectwith the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests.

The commissioning of the first two units of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project  has already been stalled by protests from locals backed by the State government.

MoEF’s Expert Appraisal Committee once again deferred the expansion proposal at its meeting held immediately after the locals called off indefinite strike at Kudankulam after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa announced that the State cabinet would pass a resolution seeking suspension of KKNPP.

The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited , the project proponent, was asked to submit documentary evidence in support of its statement that the plant was having the most advanced safety features, termed “first of its kind” in safety aspect, as it has a wider ramification in the context of what was happening around the world on similar developments.

The proposal was not acceptable as it still showed construction of an open channel for outfall which could result in various environmental problems, including the adverse impact on the marine life. Once again, the proponent was advised to consider a pipeline for disposal.

Noting that the plant elevation was designed for tsunami and flooding with sufficient conservatism, the committee said this should be further amplified with a comparison of connected parameters with normal conditions highlighting the additional provisions made to withstand tsunami effects and the method adopted for quantification.

Deferring the proposal after making the above observations, the committee decided to consider the proposal afresh after its observations were addressed and submitted for reconsideration.

The new proposal involves setting up of four additional reactors in the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project as Units 3 to 6 similar in design and to be located adjacent to the first two units, which are to be commissioned in a few months.