If the Union Ministry of Power decides to allocate power to Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka from the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant, it could be at the cost of Kerala, according to a senior official of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL).
“Proposals from these states for their share are pending before the ministry. I don’t know what the outcome will be, but even if a token allocation is made to these states, it will be at the cost of Kerala,” said Preman Dinaraj, Director (Finance), NPCIL, while speaking at the Workshop on Energy and Environment conducted by the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation here on Friday. He said Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh were not in favour of taking power from the KKNPP in Tamil Nadu when the construction of the nuclear power plant began in 2002-03. Being the host state, Tamil Nadu was to get 50 per cent of the power and Kerala 30 per cent, he noted.
“Now that the plant is about to be commissioned, Andhra Pradesh has suddenly jumped into the fray, and Karnataka has also been demanding its share on the ground that both states were part of the southern grid,” Dinaraj said, adding that Tamil Nadu’s share cannot be revised. Moreover, Tamil Nadu has been demanding that the entire power generated at Koodankulam should be earmarked for it.
“Tamil Nadu is also against Kerala receiving a share stating that the latter is principally opposed to nuclear power,” he said. “It is like keeping a cow in your neighbour’s yard so as not to dirty your own with dung, but asking for a share of the milk anyway.” He said Kerala should sign the Power Purchase Agreements for its share of the KKNPP power as early as possible. As per data tabled by the State Electricity Minister in the State Assembly, 266 MW was Kerala’s share from the two 1,000 MW reactors of the KKNPP according to an order issued by the Union Ministry of Power in 2007.
POWER GAMES
* Kerala’s share from the two 1,000 MW reactors of the KKNPP is 266 MW as per the Union Power Ministry’s order in 2007
* Now, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka have demanded their shares from the controversial nuclear plant