Toshiba to go ahead with nuclear plant in Andhra Pradesh: Govt

This would happen despite its partner, Westinghouse, filing for bankruptcy

The Toshiba will go ahead with the project of setting up of a nuclear plant in Andhra Pradesh despite its partner Westinghouse filing for bankruptcy, the government informed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, allaying fears on this count.

"Through the informal sources, we have been conveyed that the Toshiba will not back out and will go ahead," Minister of State in-charge of Atomic Energy Jitendra Singh said.

He was responding to questions on the status of the Kovvada nuclear reactors.

The Minister said the current status is that the precise clarity would ultimately emerge only when Toshiba gives out a formal communication in this regard.

"But as far as official channels are concerned, we have not received any denial or any reluctance on the part of the US companies to carry forward this project," he said.

He said from information gathered, Westinghouse has gone in for an appeal and has also gone in for a bail-out fund amounting to about $800 million.

"There is also a negotiation going on between Toshiba and Westinghouse," he said.

He said members have rightly pointed out about concerns that emerges from media reports that have appeared in the last few days, "but, I would just like to state that as far as we are concerned, we have not received any official information as such."

The 7200 Mega Watt nuclear plant is being set up with the help of US companies and Toshiba in Andhra Pradesh and the first reactor is likely to be set up by 2022 if work starts on it now.

He said this project was in principle planned to be set up in collaboration with the USA and was envisaged to have six units and its first unit was expected to be set up within five years.

"There were certain issues even at our own level, but I am glad that the Government of Andhra Pradesh has been very supportive.

"We have been proactive both at the Centre and at the state level, and only last Saturday, on the 25th of this month precisely, the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh has cleared the land acquisition file. So, our part is moving very smoothly," he told the Rajya Sabha during Question Hour.

Asked whether the state, where a plant is established, would get 50 per cent of the power from that plant, Jitendra Singh said the government is exploring possibilities of setting up such plants in other states like Haryana or Uttar Pradesh.

He said a plant was being set up in Gorakhpur in Haryana and would be completed in two-three years with availability of cheap power at Rs 6 per unit.

Singh said work was on to find a place in Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh as well as in Meghalaya to locate such a plant, but efforts in Patiala of Punjab had not been successful.