OREANDA-NEWS  Construction work at Unit 3 of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu started today. The project, in collaboration with a Russian company, is likely to be completed in a little over six years. The total cost of Unit 3 and Unit 4 -- each with a capacity to produce 1,000 megawatt or MW -- is Rs. 39,894 crore.

"This moment -- the pouring of first concrete -- marks the starting point of the nuclear power plants' units construction period that is defined in the contractual obligations," said Andrey Lebedev, ASE Engineering Company JSC Vice-President for nuclear projects in South Asia.

The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited has partnered with the Russian company to build the nuclear plant.

"This event marks the commencement of full-scale construction, thermal and electrical work at the KKNP site and the installation of Russian equipment there," Mr Lebedev said.

ASE Engineering Company JSC is a part of Rostam, the Russian counterpart of India's Department of Atomic Energy. On June 19, the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board allowed the Nuclear Power Corporation of India for "pouring of first concrete" for Unit 3 and Unit 4.

On June 1 in Saint Petersburg, Russia's ASE Group of Companies and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India signed an agreement for the construction of Kudankulam nuclear power plant Units 5 and 6.