'Russia can help India meet its N-power needs'

Planning Commission member Kirit Parikh says India can benefit from Russian expertise in N-power technology to meet its energy needs.

Planning Commission member Kirit Parikh on Thursday said India can benefit from Russian expertise in nuclear power technology to meet its energy needs.

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"India is making all possible attempts to set up an Indo-Russian venture for a series of power plants, particularly nuclear plants," he said.

Parikh is a former chairperson of the Integrated Energy Policy Committee, which, in its report in 2006, advocated greater use of nuclear power to expand India's energy basket and meet its burgeoning needs.

Speaking at an Indo-Russian business meet organised by Assocham, Parikh advocated the setting up of third-generation nuclear power plants with a target to produce 4.5mn megawatt of electricity.

Meanwhile, the head of the Russian Atomic Energy Agency, Sergei Kirienko, is due to visit India from January 20, ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit on January 25-26.

According to informed sources, he is likely to meet top officials at the Department of Atomic Energy to discuss building of five more nuclear power plants at Koodankulam in Tamil Nadu, where Russia is already building two nuclear plants.