Thursday, Nov 20, 2003
Russia offers India floating n-plants
By Vladimir Radyuhin
MOSCOW NOV.19. Russia has offered to supply floating nuclear plants to India as a way of bypassing international restrictions on nuclear technology transfers.
The issue was discussed by the National Security Adviser, Brajesh Mishra, at a meeting with the Russian Atomic Energy Minister, Alexander Rumyantsev, on the sidelines of an Indo-Russian summit in Moscow last week, a spokesman for the Atomic Energy Ministry said.
The spokesman, Mr. Nikolai Shingarev, told The Hindu that Mr. Mishra was interested in the Russian proposal. It was discussed in the context of a ban imposed by the Nuclear Suppliers Group on nuclear cooperation with India and other countries which refused to place all their nuclear facilities under international control. Russia would not be violating NSG rules by supplying floating reactors to India as they would remain Russian property.
One 77-MW floating unit can generate enough electricity and thermal energy to support a town of 50,000 people or provide enough fresh water for one million people. Mounted on a barge it can be towed to any point along India's coastline and operate for four years without reloading nuclear fuel. However, the cost of electricity produced by the $150-million floating plant will be twice as high as for onland reactors. Russian scientists have built a prototype nuclear reactor for water purification and are planning to construct a full-fledged floating nuclear plant by the year 2008 to supply power to the country's remote northern areas.
Russia is now constructing two nuclear reactors at Koodankulam in Tamil Nadu under an accord signed before the NSG clamped down its restrictions in 1992. Being a member of the NSG, Russia cannot have any new nuclear deals with India, but floating reactors are different.
"We won't be breaking any NSG restrictions if we build a floating nuclear power plant and trawl it to India's shores," Mr. Rumyantsev, said. "The plant will be operated by Russian personnel and we'll just be selling electricity to India."
He vowed to continue efforts to get the NSG waive its restrictions for India. "An exception must be made for India considering its long impeccable record of non-proliferation and respect for the nuclear powers club."
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