The first criticality at Kudankulam NPP, which is being built with the Russian assistance in the south of India, will happen before the end of summer this year, according to Director General Of Rosatom Sergey Kirienko, RIA Novosti reported.

Kudankulam unit 1 was planned to start up late 2011. The delay was caused by continuous protests of local residents who are against nuclear power and demand to refuse the plant commissioning.

“The first criticality is a lengthy process, but according to the international standard, the first criticality program begins when the first fuel assembly is put in the reactor pressure vessel. If everything goes as planned, the first criticality program at Kudankulam NPP will start before the end of summer this year. The first power unit of the plant must start operation,” Kirienko said.

Earlier reports said that the first criticality at Kudankulam NPP might happen in the beginning of August. Kirienko said that ‘the exact date of start-up would be determined by the Indian partners’.

“The negotiations on the construction of the third and fourth units are rather active. The Indian side asked to make technical changes in the project. This needs specifying the technical and commercial offer,” Kirienko also told journalists.