Madurai: After the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) gave the green signal on Tuesday for fuel-loading in the first 1,000 MW unit of the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP), scientists started the process in the early hours of Wednesday and have completed 10 per cent of the work by Thursday evening. Highly placed sources from Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) confirmed that the AERB has given the final clearance for the fuel loading in the first unit. After getting the clearance, we have started the loading process with assistance from Russian scientists and NPCIL engineers, the sources said.
To prevent any untoward incident and ensure security for the plant, the reactor core lab and its dome area have been declared as highly protected areas. The scientists declared the area to be an Operational Island, with the Army, Navy and Air Force providing round-the-clock security to it. The scientists had last week shifted the enriched Uranium-235 fuel from the storage room to the reactor core area, before uploading the Uranium-235 in the reactor, the sources said.
We will complete the fuel loading within the next 15 days. Were expecting the process to end before October 5. After this, AERB and International Atomic Energy Agency will examine the reactor. The plant-readiness for power generation will be attained before October 31, said NPCIL officials. An AERB team is at the plant and is supervising the fuel loading.
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10:20 AM, Sep 21, 2012
Chennai: Thousands of Christians on Wednesday observed a day-long fast to condemn the alleged desecration of St Lourdes Church in Idinthakarai and urged the government to take action against those involved. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the agitation against the desecration of the church, police excesses in Koodankulam and seeking protection of minority Christian community, Archbishop of Madras Mylapore AM Chinnappa said that the police, in a bid...
12:34 PM, Sep 20, 2012
New Delhi: Taking the tussle between Tamil Nadu and Kerala over Koodankulam Atomic Power Plant project to the next level, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has met Union Power Minister Veerappa Moily to demand an increased share from the project for Kerala. Citing that Kerala is going through a severe power crisis due to the weak South-West monsoon, Chandy has requested the Power Minister to raise the states allocation of power...
12:45 PM, Aug 08, 2012
Tirunelveli: A senior official of the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) maintained that they planned to load uranium fuel assemblies in Unit 1 of KKNPP this month, but Udayakumar, the coordinator of PMANE (Peoples Movement Against Nuclear Energy), which is spearheading the protest against the KKNPP, asserted that it would be appropriate to wait for the judgement of the Madras High Court in this regard. The development comes a day...
12:04 PM, Aug 06, 2012
Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, by a notification dated July 23 this year, has granted its consent to the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP), the Board submitted before a division bench comprising Justices P Jyothimani and M Duraiswamy on Wednesday. It had granted consent both under Sec 25 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act and under Sec 21 of the Air (Prevention and Control of...
12:49 PM, Aug 02, 2012
TIRUNELVELI: The second unit of the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant Project (KKNPP) may become operational by year-end, hinted Atomic Energy Commission chairman and Department of Atomic Energy secretary Srikumar Banerjee. Banerjee, who addressed presspersons along with Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) managing director S K Jain at the KKNPP site on Thursday, said that with the cooperation of the Tamil Nadu government, work at Unit-1 and Unit-2 was...
09:35 AM, Apr 27, 2012
It would be a euphemism to say that I hate non-governmental organisations. They are generally anti-development, self-righteous, obdurate, ill-liberal, conspiratorial, secretive and even plain deceptive: ...
03:04 PM, Apr 12, 2012
The Army Chief claimed that he was offered a bribe of Rs 14 crore to clear the purchase of sub-standard vehicles for the forces. ...
10:46 PM, Mar 26, 2012
Tirunelveli: Tamil Nadu Congress on Saturday appealed to Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa to help the Centre operationalise the Koodankulam nuclear power plant, which is facing stiff opposition from the local people citing safety concerns. "I appeal to the Chief Minister and Tamil Nadu government to work in tandem with Centre to operationalise the plant at the earliest as it would help towards the development of Tamil Nadu," state Congress president...
07:12 PM, Jan 28, 2012
Chennai: On the second day of his visit to Tamil Nadu, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will meet DMK chief Karunanidhi on Monday. He met CM Jayalalithaa on Sunday. This is the the Prime Minister's first visit to the southern state after the Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK took over the reins in May. The DMDK plans to stage a black flag protest against the Prime Minister, alleging the Centre's bias against Tamil Nadu...
08:08 AM, Dec 26, 2011
Chennai: The Mullaperiyar dam row between Tamil Nadu and Kerala and the impasse over Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant might figure during the talks Chief Minister Jayalalithaa is expected to have with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his two-day visit to the state from Sunday. Jayalalithaa is likely to call on Singh on Sunday evening shortly after his arrival in Chennai and may take up a host of issues, including the...
04:00 PM, Dec 24, 2011
New Delhi: Amid concerns over the Koodankulam nuclear power project, the National Disaster Management Authority has said safety measures at all atomic plants in the country were in place but admitted earthquakes at these sites cannot be completely ruled out. "Earthquake is a matter of great concern to us, especially in the six nuclear states of the country. The list of seismically vulnerable places is being constantly revised. "You cannot...
10:40 AM, Nov 13, 2011
Chennai: The 15-member expert committee set up by the Centre to allay fears of the locals over the safety aspects of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant will meet the state government's panel for the first time on Tuesday at Tirunelveli. "We have with us experts constituted by the government of India and we will meet those whom the state government wants us to at Tirunelveli tomorrow," K Balu, a member of...
09:13 PM, Nov 07, 2011
Chennai: The Centre's expert committee, set up to allay fears of locals over the controversial Kudankulam Nuclear Power plant, will meet on Monday. This will be the first time that the Centre's 15-member expert panel is meeting after anti-KNPP activists announced setting up of a 21-member committee, comprising scientists and others, to interact with state and central officials besides advising them on the future course of action. "It's a good...
12:50 PM, Nov 07, 2011
Chennai: With the standoff over the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant issue continuing, top atomic scientists will meet Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Friday to discuss ways and means to allay the fears of locals who are insisting on scrapping the project. Atomic Energy Commission chairman Srikumar Banerjee and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited chairman SK Jain will call on the Chief Minister and state Chief Secretary Debendranath...
12:39 AM, Nov 04, 2011
New Delhi: The crisis at the Koodankulam nuke plant in Tamil Nadu has escalated as the Centre for Public interest Litigation on Friday filed a PIL in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of the Nuclear Liability Act. The PIL has sought a reassessment of all nuclear facilities in India and their long-term cost benefit analysis. Meanwhile, protests took an ugly turn at the plant with the police beating...
02:20 PM, Oct 14, 2011
Tuticorin (TN): A day after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told her that the stir against Koodankulam nuclear power project would hit the state's development, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Thursday said her government would respect the sentiments of locals on the controversial project. "As for as Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project is concerned, Tamil Nadu government will certainly act respecting the local peoples' sentiments. I will be one among...
03:10 PM, Oct 13, 2011
New Delhi: A delegation of both the Tamil Nadu Government and activists opposed to the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to discuss the issue on Friday. The delegation would submit separate memoranda to Singh, indicating the differences between the state government and the anti-nuclear activists spearheading the stir calling for the scrapping of the Indo-Russian project. On September 22, the state Cabinet had adopted a...
08:44 AM, Oct 07, 2011
Chennai: Carrying different views on the controversial Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project, a delegation of Tamil Nadu Government and activists opposed to the plant will discuss the issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on Friday. The delegation would submit separate memoranda to Singh, indicating the differences between the state government and the anti-nuclear activists spearheading the stir calling for the scrapping of the Indo-Russian project. "The state government...
07:19 PM, Oct 06, 2011
Chennai: Protests against the Koodankulam nuclear power project came to an end on Wednesday in Tamil Nadu after Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa assured the villagers that all steps were being taken to ensure the safety of the people. The villagers called off their protest fast following Jayalalithaa's assurance. The protestors met Jayalalithaa after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's envoy V Narayanasamy, who is also the Minister of State in the Prime...
12:03 PM, Sep 21, 2011
