The Hindu Business Line : `N-Act needs amendment for private participation'

TAPS GOES CRITICAL: (From left) Mr S.K. Jain, CMD, NPCIL; Dr Anil Kakodkar,Chairman, AEC; and Mr S.A. Bohra, Sr. Executive Director, NPCIL, arriving to address a press conference in Tarapur on Sunday. — Shashi Ashiwal

Tarapur , May 21

In view of the private sector showing interest in the civilian nuclear power programme in India, there could be a possibility of amending the Atomic Energy Act to enable private sector to take part in the process, said Dr Anil Kakodkar, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) on Sunday.

He was addressing the media at the Tarapur Atomic Power Station after Unit-3 of 540 MW attained criticality, seven months ahead of schedule.

Under the existing provisions of the Atomic Energy Act, only a Government concern, in which 51 per cent equity was held by the Centre, is eligible to enter nuclear power business, he said. As the demand for nuclear power increases there would be a scope for all the parties to take part in the process, he said.

TAPS GOES CRITICAL

Meanwhile, the 540 MW Unit 3 of Tarapur Atomic Power Project (TAPP) attained its first criticality on Sunday morning at 10.44 a.m. It is a significant achievement for the Tarapur Atomic Power Station, as attainment of criticality signifies the start of self-sustaining nuclear fission in the reactor core.

Also addressing the media on the occasion Mr S.K. Jain, Chairman and Managing Director, NPCIL said that the project was initially pegged at Rs 6,525 crore. But Unit 3 had been completed at a project cost of Rs 6,100 crore. By June the synchronisation of the Unit with western grid would be complete and by July the commercial power production will commence, he said.