OK, so the Russians are not “waiting till December”:http://www.totalwonkerr.net/1684/tw-india-weekend-special-the-russia-edition to talk NPPs in India. (_But of course they wouldn’t… Would you?_)
The “statement released by Rosatom”:http://www.rosatom.com/en/news/11715_09.09.2008 is quite priceless…
bq. “It was *an absolutely right decision* and Russia was one of its initiators,” Kiriyenko said. He pointed out that the United States was of the same opinion. “This is *an example of mutual understanding between Russian and American nuclear power engineers*.”
As an aside, this is sort of the same point on U.S.-Russian “nuclear cooperation” on India that was made in a great “op-ed in _The Hindu_”:http://cns.miis.edu/other/potter080909.htm by CNS’s William Potter. *NOT*.
Anyway, Atomstroyexport head Leonid Reznikov is scheduled to visit India in *late October* to discuss the 4 new Kudankulam units. (According to Interfax, Atomstroyexport is also interested in cooperation with the Indian steel industry.)
Indian officials “reportedly expect”:http://www.rosatom.com/en/news/11702_09.09.2008 construction at Kudankulam to commence this year or in 2009. And they’re apparently ready.
bq. *In the last months NPCIL has actively worked to prepare area for the new reactors*: it has been building infrastructure: roads, power networks, houses for constructors. The next stage is digging the foundation pit.
I should note that I learned something else today. Apparently, the units at Kudankulam are “*protected from possible earthquakes, hurricanes, _air crashes_*.” Moreover, “*The two existing units*, located on the Indian Ocean coast, *have already survived a tsunami — the wave was stopped by _a special wave cutter_*.”
_Ooh… A special wave cutter… I want “one”:http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=wave%20cutter too._