Companies can become NPCIL's minor partners

Private entities may enter into nuclear power generation, but only as a minor partner of state-owned Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL), a top government official said.

"Nuclear power sector is not like thermal or hydro power projects. The private sector may not understand the complexities of this field," Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar said at a seminar here on India Nuclear Energy Summit.

"We are not discouraging private participation. There are many private companies associated with us. But in the field of power generation, we welcome them only as a minor partner of NPCIL, which is allowed (to operate in the field) according to the Atomic Energy Act," he said. NPCIL has enough capital to invest for at least 10,000 Megawatts of nuclear power, he said.

There are many public sector entities that are cash-rich and can enter into tie-ups with NPCIL for nuclear power generation, he said, adding: "We already have two such tie-ups." Private parties can also join hands with NPCIL to understand the safety issues associated with nuclear power generation and nuclear power cycle, Kakodkar said. When asked why there was a reservation about private sector joining nuclear power generation, Kakodkar pointed to the procedural and safety issues associated with this sector.

"Unlike thermal or hydro plants, you cannot close down or abandon a nuclear power reactor, if it is not generating power or not giving profits. It has to be properly managed as it produces radioactive materials. Disposal of spent-fuel is another area of concern," he said.