India’s state-owned Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) has announced deals with Areva, TVEL of Russia and NTPC of India following formal nuclear power cooperation agreements made with France, Russia and the USA in late 2008.
In mid-February, it signed a memorandum of understanding in Mumbai with India’s largest power utility NTPC Limited to incorporate a 51:49 joint venture company. The JV would set up nuclear power plants in India, including a planned 4,000MW plant in Kudgi, Bijapur.
Earlier in February, NPCIL signed a memorandum of understanding with Areva of France to build between two and six 1650 MWe EPR reactors at Jaitapur in Maharashtra State in India, and all the fuel for the reactor. The deal follows a bilateral agreement to share nuclear power technology with France signed in September 2008.
Also in February, the Indian department of atomic energy signed a deal with Russian Federation joint stock company TVEL to supply 2,000t of natural uranium pellets for India’s PHWR reactors, and about 60t low-enriched uranium pellets for its BWRs at Tarapur operated by NPCIL. TVEL is also the supplier of the nuclear fuel assemblies for the Kudankulam (Tamilnadu) nuclear reactor project (2x1000MWe). The deal follows a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Russia signed in December.
NPCIL has at present 17 nuclear power generating stations in operation (4,120MWe in total) and five nuclear power plants (total 2,660 MWe) are under construction. NPCIL has plans for a significant capacity addition in nuclear power generation. The company operates nuclear power stations and implements electricity-generating nuclear power projects for the government of India.
Related ArticlesJapanese supply chain thickens Malawi president opens Kayelekera uranium mine Japanese trio revises Uranium One deal Westinghouse and RWE negotiate to build three reactors in Wales
