Reliance Infra bids lowest for Kundankulam N-plant's Rs 1k-cr EPC contract

If the deal follows through, it would be the firm's first major contract in nuclear space

Reliance Infrastructure Limited (RInfra) has emerged as the lowest bidder for Rs 1,000-crore contract for Kudankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu. EPC players like Larsen and Toubro, Tata Projects, BGR and BHEL were in the fray for the contract floated by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL).

The EPC contract is for design, engineering, procurement, manufacture, supply, erection, construction, testing, commissioning, handing over and performance guarantee of common services systems, structures and components (SSC) for units 3 and 4 the 1,000 megawatts (MW) plant in Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu. The bids opened earlier this week, said a person close to the development.

Unit 1 and 2 of the KKNPP, both 1000 MW each, are currently the largest nuclear power generating reactors in the country. 

The project is expected to be commissioned over a period of more than four years. If the deal follows through, it would be RInfra’s first major contract in the nuclear space. The company had earlier done electrical system packages for NPCIL's Kaigar and Kota nuclear units.

The general framework agreement for units 5 and 6 was signed between India and Russia last June. 

NPCIL is also planning to put up two reactors in Chutka in Madhya Pradesh. 

The government approved 10 new nuclear reactors this year, including the two units in Chutka. The pressurised heavy-water reactors (PHWRs)-- all approved in May 2017-- have a combined capacity of 700 MWe and are said to have a contract potential of around Rs 70,000 crore.

India plans to have a nuclear power generation capacity of 63,000 MW by 2030, from its existing levels of 6,780 MW, which is just 2.1 per cent of the installed power generation capacity of 329,226 MW.