"Unlike the piece meal bargain done during the Kudankulam

Nuclear Power Projects (KNNPP), DAE will negotiate for six reactors at Kavali. This will help us to get a good deal in the cost," said a senior government official.

Russia has built two VVER reactors in Kudankulam, each with a capacity of 1000 MW. Unit 3 and 4 are under construction, while the General Framework Agreement (GFA) for unit 5 and 6 is expected to be signed soon.

In reference to Kavali in AP, the proposed site of a nuclear power park earmarked for Russians, some section of locals have expressed apprehensions about safety of the nuclear power plants and loss of traditional means of livelihood.

The DAE is carrying out an extensive public outreach programme to spread awareness about the nuclear power.

"At present, the Site Selection Committee (SSC) is exploring the possibility of identifying a suitable coastal site in Andhra Pradesh for locating nuclear power plants with Russian cooperation.

"It will be somewhere around Kavali in Nellore district.

The exact location is yet decided," the official said.

The official added that the government of Andhra Pradesh has given its consent to carry out technical studies required to identify potential coastal site for locating nuclear power plant in the state.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)