Another desal plant to provide fresh water to Koodankulam nuke plants

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

Another desalination plant will be constructed soon to meet the fresh

water requirement of Koodankulam nuclear plant, according to reliable

sources.

Highly placed sources in Indian nuclear industry told Express that the

new plant is expected to produce two million gallons of water per day.

The work on the desalination plant will begin in the next five to six

months, the sources said.

Interestingly, this will be second desalination plant after the first

was commissioned in 2009. The need to build desalination plants rose

after the nuclear industry faced problems to provide fresh water

source for the reactor following protest from the locals over the use

of nearby Pechiparai reservoir.

Sources said bids for the desalination plant has already come in and

it is under valuation.

Currently, two Light Water Reactors (LWRs), each of 1000 MW at a

Koodankulam are at advanced stages of completion. One will be

commissioned around July this year and another one will be in place

next year, sources added. Interestingly, Tamil Nadu government will be

buying power from Koodankulam nuclear plant to fulfill the power

requirements of the state once the first reactor goes critical.

A total of six Russian reactors will come up at Kudankulam. While

Russia will provide the equipment and components for the six reactors,

the Nuclear Power Corporation of India will build them.