NPCIL signs MoU with Areva to set up nuclear reactors

Months after the 45-membered Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) gave its nod to the India-specific waiver to drop a ban on nuclear trade, India has signed its first Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to build nuclear power plants with Areva, France.

The French energy major will supply two European Pressurised Reactors (EPRs) of 1,650 Mw capacity each, to be set up by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL), the state-owned nuclear power generation company, in Jaitapur, Maharashtra.

“Its going to be a nuclear technology park with two reactors to start with. There may be many such parks,” said S K Jain, chairman and managing director, NPCIL.

India and France had signed a bilateral agreement in September last year, as per which the two countries had agreed to work together for “peaceful use of nuclear energy”.

“More sites for such nuclear technology parks will be announced soon. Each park will have a capacity of about six to eight reactors,” said Prithviraj Chavan, Union Minister of State.

NPCIL currently operates 17 nuclear reactors in the country with a total power generation capacity of 4,120 Mw. The company is planning to set up an additional 2,660 Mw capacity through five of such reactors.

India plans to increase its nuclear power generation capacity five-folds to 20,000 Mw by 2020 and 36,000 Mw by 2030.