Westinghouse, NPCIL ink MoU on nuke co-operation

US energy major Westinghouse Electric company (WEC) and Nucelar Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) today signed an MoU for starting discussions on techno-commercial aspects to set up six to eight AP1000 type nuclear power reactors in India.

After the civil nuclear cooperation between India and US in last October, this is the first singing of MoU for setting up of AP1000 reactors in the country by WEC.

The signing of this MoU is another milestone in the engagement of NPCIL and WEC for preparing the contract and related details of setting up multiple AP1000 reactors in the country.

The MoU was signed by President and Chief Executive Officer of WEC Aris S Candris and Chairman and Managing Director of NPCIL S K Jain in the presence of Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission Anil Kakodkar and other senior officials of Department of Atomic energy and NPCIL, a release said.

As part of international civil nuclear cooperation, India had earlier signed MoUs with General Electric Hitachi, USA for setting up of four Advanced Boiling Water Reactors in India.

The sites for both these American companies which would accommodate plants of 10,000 MW each, are yet to be announced by the Government of India.

AP1000 is pressurised water reactor, which is the trademark of Westinghouse Electric Co.

NPCIL also signed an MoU with the French company AREVA for four Evolutionary (European) pressurised water reactors for a pre-selected site of Jaitapur in Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra.

In addition, NPCIL is engaged with Russian Atomstroyexport for additional VVER-1000 type reactors at Koodankulam in Tamil Nadu where already two such plants are in the final stages of construction.

In March, WEC and NPCIL signed an MoU for 'confidentiality of information'.

NPCIL, a public sector unit of Department of Atomic Energy has currently 14 nuclear power reactors in operation, three are waiting for fuel (Narora units 1 and 2 and Rajasthan unit 2) and five reactors are under advanced stages of construction.

Jain said his company has plans for a significant capacity addition in nuclear power generation.

Besides the addition of reactors of 1000 MW and above with the international cooperation, "we are also working on setting up of eight 700 MW indigenous Pressurised heavy Water Reactors," Jain added.

India's first Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor is also in advanced stages of construction and is expected to be operational in 2011, he said.