With the first two units of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) coming close to the stage of commissioning, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) has received the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance for starting work on the next four units (KKNPP units 3-6).
The NPCIL has to submit a schematic diagram of its outfall and technical details to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) before commencing the work.
Discussing the issue of CRZ clearance at length, the Expert Appraisal Committee of the MoEF has also asked NPCIL to carry out regular monitoring at the outfall point, especially for temperature and marine life quality.
It must also monitor all physical, chemical and biological parameters, including radioactivity, regularly. Asking for strict compliance with these three conditions, the expert appraisal committee for construction, CRZ and infrastructure development, at its 112 meeting on May 10, recommended the proposal for nuclear power plant units 3-6 for CRZ clearance.
For NPCIL, the long wait has come to an end. It obtained environmental clearance under EIA notification 2006 from MoEF in September 2008 for KKNPP 3 and 4 and in December 2009 for units 5 and 6.
The Tamil Nadu State Coastal Zone Management authority recommended grant of CRZ clearance to KKNPP 3-6 in December 2010.
KKNPP units 3-6, each of 1000 MW, are similar in design and located adjacent to units 1 and 2, which are in commissioning stage.
Having obtained CRZ clearance, the NPCIL, which has already got Union Cabinet nod for the construction of units 3 and 4, can now initiate techno-commercial negotiations with its Russian counterpart.
