After numerous protests and fears in a post-Fukushima world, the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) attained criticality last month

After numerous protests and fears in a post-Fukushima world, the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) attained criticality last month.

And now, reports are emerging that the plant is 'the safest in the world'. Vladimir Angelov, a Russian nuclear industry official claimed that the Kudankulam plant is the first in the world to have implemented all the requisite post-Fukushima safety measures and to have operated them successfully.

According to this report in The Hindu, Angelov is quoted as saying, "We analysed the basic technical design of Units 1 and 2 in terms of the lessons from Fukushima. We came to the conclusion that they would have withstood a Fukushima-like incident."

The report further quotes Angelov underlining the safety of the plant by stating that “the KKNPP can withstand any anticipated operational occurrences, it can even withstand a fall of aircraft. Therefore, we can firmly state that presently India possesses the safest (nuclear power plant) in the world.”

The title of 'safest nuclear power plant in the world' may have seemed a long away back in February this year when the 1,000-MW plant stopped generation following a steam leak in the plant's secondary side.

With India set to receive 12 nuclear reactors for two sites, as per the Narendra Modi-Vladimir Putin joint statement in December 2015, one would hope that Angelov's statements are rooted in fact and not made with a view to increase sales to India.

With inputs from PTI