Alstom in consortium with Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has secured a contract from Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) for the supply of turbine generator packages.

Alstom’s share in the total contract is about Rs 700 crore. The package is for the Rajasthan Atomic Power Project (RAPP) units 7 & 8 at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan.

Alstom and BHEL will supply and commission the turbine generator packages for the station’s two 700-MW capacity units.

The expansion of the existing capacity of the 1,180-MW of RAPP nuclear power plant will help meet the country’s increasing demand for power, Alstom said.

Alstom said this order follows the 2x700 MW units for the Kakrapar 3 and 4 nuclear power plants in Gujarat a year ago.

The first contract that Alstom executed for NPCIL was for Rajasthan unit 1 and unit 2 in 1973 and 1981. Thereafter, it became the technology provider through BHEL for the 220-MW park for Kakrapar.

Patrick Fragman, Senior Vice-President of Alstom’s nuclear business, said: “With India envisioning to increase the contribution of nuclear power to overall electricity generation capacity from 3.2 per cent to nine per cent within 25 years, Alstom is well positioned to respond to the country’s ever-increasing electricity requirements.”

Alstom is the world leader in conventional islands for nuclear power plants with close to 30 per cent of total nuclear capacity in operation (approximately 114 GW) across the world operating on installations by Alstom.

Nuclear power is currently the fourth largest source of electricity in India after thermal, hydro and renewable energy.

At present, India has 20 nuclear power units in operation, generating 4,780 MW. Seven reactors are under construction and will add 5,300 MW of nuclear power generation capacity.

>shanker.s@thehindu.co.in

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