Russia, India sign agreement for 2 nuclear reactors in Tamil Nadu

NEW DELHI: Russia and India have signed an agreement for building the last two reactors of the six-unit Kudankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu in a boost for India’s atomic sector.

It was one of the five deals signed between the two countries as Indian Prime Minister Narendra and Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks in St Petersburg on a range of issues, including defence and trade.

Russian state nuclear firm Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd ( NPCIL) chairman Satish Kumar Sharma signed the pact for constructing the units 5 and 6 at Kudankulam.

Each unit will have a capacity to generate 1,000 megawatt of power.

Russia is extending a credit line to India for the project.

“With concerted efforts on both sides, there has been a series of steady and demonstrable achievements in our civil nuclear partnership, including advancing nuclear power projects at the Kudankulam site and transforming it into one of India’s largest energy hubs,” a joint Russian-India declaration said.

The two countries said they will build an ‘Energy Bridge’ and expand relations ‘in all areas of energy cooperation, including nuclear, hydrocarbon, hydel and renewable energy sources’.

The other agreements cover a high- speed rail project in India, diamond trade, traditional knowledge and cultural exchanges.

Moscow and New Delhi also aim to promote settlements of bilateral trade in their national currencies rupee and ruble.