In India, a Russian-built nuclear power station has begun generating power, raising hopes that it will ease energy shortages in the south. But the country’s ambitious plans to ramp up its nuclear power capacity are not panning out as expected.

在印度，一座俄罗斯建造的核电站开始发电，燃起南部缺电现象将得以缓解的希望。但是印度提升其核电装机容量的雄心勃勃的计划却并没有像预料的那样成功。

The Kudankulam nuclear plant in southern Tamil Nadu state went online Tuesday by transmitting 160 megawatts of power to the local grid. In the coming weeks it will gradually be scaled up to its full capacity of 1000 megawatts to light up homes and industries.

南部泰米尔纳德邦的库丹库拉姆核电站星期二开始发电，向地方电网输送160兆瓦的电力。未来几个星期，这座核电站将把发电能力逐步提高到1000兆瓦，向家庭和企业提供电力。

However, hopes of boosting Kudankulam’s capacity even further suffered a setback this month during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s trip to Moscow.

然而，辛格总理不久前访问俄罗斯，希望进一步提高库丹库拉姆核电站发电能力的努力却遭遇挫折。

Proponents hoped he would sign a deal to purchase two new nuclear reactors, each 1000 megawatts. But negotiations are stuck due to the strict civil nuclear liability law that India adopted in 2010 under pressure from the opposition and activists.

支持发展核电的人希望辛格总理与俄罗斯签署协议，购买两座发电量各在1000兆瓦的新核反应堆。但是由于印度2010年在反对派和活动人士的压力下通过了核项目严格限于民用的责任法，谈判陷于停滞。

Foreign suppliers worry that this law disproportionately burdens sellers of nuclear technology with compensation payments in the case of an accident. They say India’s liability law is not consistent with international nuclear policies.

外国供应商担心这项法律将不成比例地加重核技术卖家的负担，在万一发生事故做出巨额赔偿的情况下得不偿失。卖家说，印度的相关责任法与国际核政策不相符。

Despite the delay, Indian officials sound optimistic about getting the reactors from Russia and say they hope to iron out the differences in the coming months.

尽管计划推迟，但印度官员对于从俄罗斯购买核反应堆表示乐观，表示他们希望能够在未来几个月弥平分歧。

G. Balachandran at the Institute of Defense Studies and Analysis says India has tried to address some of the concerns by putting a cap on the liability of foreign suppliers in the event of a nuclear mishap.

印度国防分析研究所的巴拉干德兰说，印度正在考虑对外国供应商在一旦发生核事故的情况下的责任赔偿实行最高限制，试图解决他们的顾虑。

“When they [India] formulated the rules, they limited it to a five year period during which the right of recourse can be exercised. Not indefinite. They said it is not for unlimited amount. So they will be limited to a liability of 250 million dollars for a period of only five years,” said G. Balachandran.

“印度官员在制定规则时，把追索权的时效限制在5年之内，而不是无限期的。印度官员说，赔偿金额也不是无限制的，他们将把它限制在5年期限内最高赔偿为2亿5千万美元。”

India has long hoped that nuclear power is the answer to its energy woes. The landmark agreement New Delhi struck with the United States in 2008 lifted a three decade long ban on nuclear trade. The deal was expected to lead to investment of nearly $150 billion in India’s nuclear energy sector from countries like Russia, France and the United States.

长期以来，印度希望通过发展核电来解决电力紧张问题。新德里和美国于2008签署的里程碑协议取消了对印度核贸易的限制，这项协议预计将导致俄罗斯、法国和美国等国家向印度核能部门投资高达1千500亿美元。

But so far there has been little progress. Last month, India signed a preliminary contract with U.S.-based Westinghouse Electric Co. to purchase nuclear reactors.

但是截止到目前，这项计划很少取得进展。上个月印度同美国的西屋电力公司达成购买核反应堆的初步协议。

Many analysts blame the liability law for slowing negotiations. Balachandran says foreign suppliers fear that other countries could cite India’s precedent to seek similar guarantees.

许多分析人士指责印度制定的责任法延缓了谈判进程。巴拉干德兰说，外国供应商担心其他国家可能会援引印度的先例，寻求类似的担保。

“That is the only small impediment I can see in the way of foreign companies saying I don’t want this to become a universal norm. Because that is true, all the other countries have passed a law which does not have right of recourse,” said Balachandran.

“这是我可以看到的唯一小小的障碍，因为外国公司可以说，我不希望它成为一项普遍的规则。因为的确所有其他国家都通过了没有追索权的法律。”

The slowdown in the nuclear sector is a setback for a country which had hoped to scale up nuclear power from less than 5,000 megawatts 63,000 megawatts in 20 years to close the huge gap in its energy needs.

推迟购买核反应堆对于印度来说是一个挫折。印度希望在未来20年内把核电能力从目前不到5千兆瓦提高到6万3千兆瓦，以弥补电力需要的巨大缺口。

There are other problems besides the liability law. Concerns have been growing among local communities about nuclear power safety in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan. The Kudankulam nuclear project was repeatedly delayed due to protests by villagers living in the plant’s vicinity. The plant only came online after India’s Supreme Court ruled this May that the plant was safe and necessary for the country’s economic growth.

除了责任法之外还有其他的问题。2011年日本福岛核电灾难之后，地方社区对核电安全的担心日益增加。库丹库拉姆核电项目由于居住在核电站附近的村民抗议而一再延迟。只是在今年5月印度最高法院做出这座核电站是安全的，并且对印度经济增长是必不可少的裁决之后，库丹库拉姆核电站才得以开始运营。