First N-plant with US-tech by 2018

The top two suppliers of nuclear reactors from the US —Westinghouse and GE-Hitachi — said they were confident of initiating work on India’s nuclear plants at Virdhi (Gujarat) and Kovvada (AP) by 2012 and commission the first nuclear power unit in the next six years, reports Anupama Airy.

India may have in place the first unit of its nuclear power plant built on technology from the US by 2018. The top two suppliers of nuclear reactors from the US —Westinghouse and GE-Hitachi — said they were confident of initiating work on India’s nuclear plants at Virdhi (Gujarat) and Kovvada (Andhra Pradesh) by 2012 and commission the first nuclear power unit in the next six years (by 2018).

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“We expect the streamlining of export laws in the US by early 2010 which will give us the licence to supply nuclear reactors to India,” GE-Hitachi Senior Vice President Daniel L. Roderick told Hindustan Times.

“We expect to begin commercial discussions with the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) immediately thereafter and start work at the site by 2012,” he said. The large scale construction of the nuclear plant should begin by 2014 after which it will take four years to commission the first unit, that is by 2018.

“We expect NPCIL to give contracts for two reactors at a time and this should happen by 2011,” Westinghouse Vice President Meena Mutyala said. “It will take six years to supply nuclear reactors thereafter which means we should be able to build a nuclear power plant in India by 2018.”

“We also want to use India as a base for exports of components for nuclear power plants to the US and Europe,” Roderick said.