India nuclear reactor attains \\\'full capacity\\\'

The first reactor of India's largest nuclear plant -- dogged by protests and multiple delays -- reached full capacity for the first time Saturday, an official said.
The Russian-backed Kudankulam plant, in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, is designed to help meet surging demand for electricity in Asia's third-largest economy where blackouts are frequent.
"It's really an emotional experience for us," said R.S. Sundar, site director of the state-run Nuclear Power Corp of India, according to The Hindu newspaper's website.
Work was completed on the 1,000-megawatt (MW) first unit last year and the second 1,000-MW reactor is expected to be brought into service by mid-2014, despite local protests delaying construction.
Plans for the Kudankulam facility were first drawn up in 1988. It was supposed to open in 2011 but large, often violent protests, by residents worried about the possibility of a nuclear accident delayed the startup, according to AFP.