The Hindu Business Line : GE Hitachi signs pact with Nuclear Power, BHEL for reactors

New Delhi, March 23 Readying itself for the opportunities in the Indian nuclear market, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy on Monday announced it has signed preliminary agreements with state-owned firms Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) and Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) to build reactors here.

The agreements would set the stage for the companies to “begin planning necessary resources in manufacture and construction management” for a potential multiple-unit Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR) nuclear project in the country.

The three companies will collaborate in setting up 1,350-MW ABWR-based projects, GE Hitachi said in an e-mailed statement, without specifying how many units would be built.

“These agreements are a preliminary step that will set the stage for further collaborations to extend our existing footprint in nuclear energy in India,” said Mr Kishore Jayaraman, Chief Executive Officer, GE Energy India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. He said that the efforts to step up Indo-US engagements in the nuclear sector, including the move to adopting a civil liability law and other regulations in India, continue to make progress.

According to an NPCIL statement, the agreement with GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy was signed on March 20 for commencing discussions on the “techno-commercial aspects of ABWRs.”

“The signing of this pact is the first milestone in engagement of NPCIL and GE Hitachi for preparing the contract and related details of setting up of ABWRs in India,” it said.

"NPCIL is also similarly engaged with Westinghouse Electric Company, USA for setting up of AP-1000 Reactors in India. In addition to above, discussions are also actively going on with Russian firm Atomstroyexport for VVER-1000 reactors, and Areva of France for EPR type of reactors," the NPCIL statement added.

India plans to increase nuclear power output to 60,000 MW by 2032 from the current 4,120 MW. US suppliers are competing with French and Russian companies for a piece of the estimated $175 billion that the US.-India Business Council estimates to be invested in India's nuclear power sector in the future.