Areva hopes to sign Jaitapur deal by year end

Siddhartha P. Saikia Updated - June 13, 2012 at 12:20 PM.

Areva India Private Ltd on Wednesday said it expects to sign contracts for two units of 1,650 MW each for Jaitapur nuclear plant in Maharastra by year-end.

The plant is being set up by public sector NPCIL.

"If we sign the contract by end of this year, first reactor will be ready by 2020. And second reactor will be ready a year later," said Mr Arthur Montalembert, Chairman and Managing Director of Areva India.

NPCIL hopes to set up six units of 1,650 MW units each at Jaitapur. Earlier, the contracts were expected to be sealed by 2011. The project is getting delayed due to local protests after Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan. "We are doing our best to expedite the process," said Mr Montalembert.

At the same time, Areva is supporting NPCIL to get appropriate finances from overseas for the project, Mr Montalembert added. Currently, NPCIL has nearly 4,780 MW of installed nuclear generation capacity.

siddhartha.s@thehindu.co.in

Published on June 13, 2012 06:48