JSW Energy forms group for N-power foray

JSW Energy has formed a group to explore the possibility of foraying into nuclear power as and when the government allows private players to enter the sector.

Sajjan Jindal, chairman and managing director, JSW Steel, said the group’s energy company, JSW Energy, had set up a group to explore the possibility of starting nuclear power projects.

“The company is keen to work on nuclear engineering because it is the future of the power sector and JSW wants to be a part of it,” he said. We had also tied up with a foreign company to study nuclear engineering, he added, without divulging the company’s name.

Though the government has not allowed private sector players to participate in producing nuclear power, the Atomic Energy Act enables limited participation of private sector firms in distribution and manufacture of equipment. JSW, along with Tata Power, Reliance Power, GMR, Lanco and Videocon, are among the private players that have announced plans to enter the sector.

JSW Energy had a current capacity of 1,200 Mw and would be adding 4,000 Mw by the next two-to three years in its existing plants, he said. The company also plans to manufacture supercritical boilers in joint ventures with major national power-equipment manufacturers. “The plan is to make JSW Energy a complete power solutions company,” he said.

For coal mine acquisitions, the company was looking at Indonesia, Africa and South Asia, he said.