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NPT glitches holding up N-power funds
BHEL, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and private sector company Larsen & Toubro may come together with a leading global company armed with the technical knowhow to set up a multi-billion dollar integrated production facility to make nuclear reactors in India.
BHEL, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and private sector company Larsen & Toubro may come together with a leading global company armed with the technical knowhow to set up a multi-billion dollar integrated production facility to make nuclear reactors in India.
BHEL’s Chairman and managing director Ravi Kumar told Hindustan times that he has already held preliminary discussions with L&T and NPCIL on this but is waiting for further clarity on the second round of partnership between India and the United States after signing their landmark civil nuclear deal.
Kumar said the idea is to develop complete nuclear power projects at one location and undertake contracts on a turnkey basis. “While L&T can do nuclear engineering, NPCIL can handle the safety and security aspects and BHEL can do the nuclear instrumentation. Talks are already going on with leading technical players like Toshiba, Westinghouse, GE-Hitachi for a technology tie- up to manufacture large capacity nuclear reactors.”
When contacted, chairman L&T AM Naik said his company has not firmed up anything as yet on this front. But he did not deny talks with BHEL.
Kumar said the three-way arrangement would be finalised only “after a clarity emerges on the signing of further side agreements such as the nuclear enrichment and replenishment agreement between India and the US.”
Setting aside the concerns over a ban by G8 countries on enrichment and re-processing (ENR) technologies, India is all set to take its civil nuclear trade with the US forward. Two sites are expected to be offered to US companies to make reactors during the upcoming 5-day visit of the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, which starts on Friday.
