Chennai, Feb 7 (IANS): The civil construction work for the third and fourth 1,000 MW atomic power plants are in progress as per schedule and the needed equipment are arriving at project site at Kudankulam in Tirunelvelli district, said an official of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL).

The NPCIL has two 1,000 MW atomic power plants at Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) and construction work is underway for two more units while excavation work is on for two other units.

"The construction work for the third and fourth units are progressing as per the schedule. About 15-20 per cent project has been completed," the official told IANS preferring anonymity on Thursday.

He said power plant equipment from Russia and Indian suppliers are being received and project officials are getting ready to erect the mechanical equipments.

As compared to the first two units, where the entire plant was supplied by Russia, the third and fourth units will have a good amount of domestic components.

It is learnt that major items like reactor pressure vessel, stator, core catcher, pipelines, condenser parts have arrived from Russia.

Meanwhile, the first 1,000 MW unit at KNPP is expected to restart power generation from Feburary 20.

The unit was under shutdown from November 19 last year owing to high turbine bearing temperature, according to Power System Operation Corporation Ltd. (POSOCO).

On the other hand, the second unit at KNPP generated 674 MW at an average on Wednesday.

India had signed an agreement with Russia to set up six more nuclear power reactors in the country with capacity of 1,200 MW each.

Excavation work for construction of the fifth and sixth units of 1,000 MW capacity are in progress.

According to plans, a total of six 1,000 MW units will be set up at KNPP. Already units 1 and 2 are functional.