India's first private-sector nuclear tender plagued by cost, funding issues

There are 687 queries bothering bidders, documents show, with financing being the thorn, followed by issues of cost over high service charges by NPCIL

India’s first tender calling for private sector participation in small nuclear reactors — a bellwether for long-awaited reforms in the nuclear power industry — is facing repeated delays.

 

This comes after bidders like Tata Power, Reliance Industries and Adani Energy raised several queries relating to ownership, charges and operations, which threaten to make the projects unviable, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) documents show and senior industry officials said.

 

State-owned NPCIL announced a tender in March 2024 for a stepped down version of indigenously-produced nuclear reactors.  It is to support the government's plans to involve India's