The Hindu Business Line : Skoda Power scouts for nuclear biz in India

Hyderabad, Dec. 6 Czech major Skoda Power is keen to pitch for a pie of the nuclear power business in India, as and when opportunities for private sector are opened up.

In preparation for this, Skoda Power has joined hands with Atomstroy Export, the Russian nuclear vendor, which is already working on several projects in India.

“Our plan is to take the consortia approach to get a share of the emerging nuclear power business in India. We already have a strong partnership with Atomstroy globally,” said Mr Jiri Zapletal, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Skoda Holding, the parent entity of Skoda Power.

The company intends to offer technology and expertise for nuclear reactors with turbines from 200 Mwe to 1200 Mwe range. Skoda Power has already demonstrated the capability in the 2X1000 Mwe nuclear power stations set up in the Czech Republic, Mr Zapletal told Business Line here.

The consortia with Atomstroy Export is involved in building a nuclear power plant of 1060 Mwe capacity in Bulgaria. We have got the project and are in the process of executing it. Skoda will combine the nuclear technology of Atomstroy in the steam turbines and offer to India.

Skoda Power has also forged a tie up with Enel, the Italian utility company, in the retrofitting of turbines for the nuclear power plant in Slovakia, he said.

Skoda Power is among the long and growing list of global power utilities with expertise in nuclear power to show interest in the Indian nuclear power sector. Westinghouse Electric Co, General Electric of US, Seimens of Germany, Enel of Italy and Areva and Electricite de France from France are some of the leading global contenders. Even Indian utilities like the NTPC, BHEL and corporates like Tata Power, L&T, Reliance Energy, GMR group etc have expressed keenness to foray into the sector.

The role for the private sector in nuclear power generation in India is expected to materialise after the necessary amendments are brought into the Atomic Energy Act of 1962, a process which is at an advanced stage now.