N-power plants in India if sanctions lifted: Russia

Moscow, Oct 25: Russia can launch cooperation with India in building fast neutron nuclear reactors for power plants if sanctions against India are lifted, a spokesman for the Russian Federal Agency for Nuclear Power said.

"Joint work to build nuclear power plants equipped with fast neutron reactors is one of our perspective projects. India is taking its first steps in this work and Russia is the world leader in this field," he told the RIA Novosti news agency.

"Russia and India have wide prospects for atomic cooperation.

India has started producing heavy-water reactors for nuclear power plants and can build 600-MW power units of this kind," he said.

"But the country is not yet building PWRs (pressurized water reactors), which are similar to Russian VVER reactors, so we have good opportunities for cooperation in this field," he added.

The spokesman said uranium enrichment is underdeveloped in India and Russia could offer its services for the Indian nuclear power sector.

However, he pointed out the cooperation is currently possible only on the Kudankulam nuclear power plant which Russia is helping to build, as restrictions on nuclear supplies remain in place.

The Beloyarsk nuclear power plant in Russia's Urals has operated with a fast neutron reactor for more than 20 years.

UNI