Quote:Russia became the latest country to strike a civil nuclear deal with energy-hungry India on Monday when it agreed to supply reactors to Asia’s third largest economy.



International power companies from Russia, France, the UK, the US and Canada are flocking to India seeking opportunities to help one of the world’s fastest-growing economies meet its energy demands. The contribution of nuclear energy in India is forecast to rise from 4,000MW to as much as 470,000MW over the next 40 years.



The Russian deal follows a civil nuclear agreement with the US at the end of last year that helped clear the way for India to buy atomic power plants, technology and fuel from the nuclear club of nations.

Quote:Mumbai, Dec. 10



Nuclear Power Corporation of India is confident of completing the land acquisition process for its five coastal-based plants in the next 18 months, said Mr S.K. Jain, Chairman and Managing Director, on Thursday. He was speaking to reporters on the occasion of the visit of the 5th US Commercial Nuclear Delegation.



Mr Jain said NPCIL planned to create nuclear parks of up to 10,000 MW at each site. “We have put a target of 18 months for acquiring the land, pre-project activity and creating basic infrastructure at the site,” he said.



“We hope that with the active support from the State governments. It should be possible to achieve the target. Specific clearances from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and from the Ministry of Environment and Forest are also being fast-tracked,” Mr Jain said.



Each park would have minimum of six reactors of 1,000 or 1,650 MW totalling about 10,000 MW. The Centre has given clearances to create the parks at Andhra Pradesh (Kowada), Gujarat (Chhayamithi Virdi), Maharashtra (Jaitapur), West Bengal (Haripur) and Tamil Nadu (Koodankulam). Mr Jain said that in the last four years NPCIL had effectively negotiated with vendors such as GE Hitachi and Westinghouse for the supply of reactors, “A fairly good amount of understanding has been reached in term of technological knowledge of the US companies and competitiveness of India industry and how they could be married together,” he said.



Mr Daniel Roderick, Senior Vice-President, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, said the company has been associated with the Indian nuclear industry for the last 45 years.



It will bring the most updated technology for the reactors, he said.



He added that given the sheer number of highly technical and skilled manufacturers in India, GE Hitachi would be able to service the global supply chain from here.

Quote:Date:06/12/2009



S. Shanker



Rahul Wadke



Mumbai, Dec. 5



The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has raised civil nuclear power generation to 30,000 MW by 2020 against the earlier target of 20,000 MW, said Dr S. Banerjee, Secretary, DAE, and Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission.



Dr Banerjee told Business Line that the growth plan for atomic energy has been worked out through a senior-level consultative process. This would come through indigenous development and imported reactors.



As of now, the indigenous programme would total up to 15,000 MW, though it was not 100 per cent domestic as it included the two foreign reactors for Koodangulam ( 2 X 1000 MW). Plans are also on to import more reactors before 2022. It could be a composition of 13 indigenous reactors and imported ones to total 30,000 MW-plus.



Negotiations were on with several countries such as France, the US and Russia and the growth would come through light-water reactors. In addition, there were reactors that work on the boiling water concept, which the department was also interested in.



Heavy water reactors



Dr Banerjee said the indigenous programme involves the development of the pressurised heavy water reactors. Recently, one was commissioned at Rajasthan (220 MW) and another (220 MW) would be commissioned soon at the same site. Both the reactors would use imported fuel. Another reactor would be commissioned at Kaiga (220 MW) that would use indigenous fuel to be made available in three months.



DAE's next step was to develop four reactors of 700 MW capacities for which government clearance had been obtained. More 700 MW reactors would come, but that it would depend on the fuel linkage. “As and when we can expand our fuel base based on indigenous fuel we will add new reactors,” he said, adding that the 500 MW fast breeder reactor being built at Kalpakkam was on schedule and would be online in 2011.



Energy parks



The Department was in the process of creating energy parks, essentially the concept is to have more reactors on the same site and share the exclusion zone. Otherwise, every reactor should have an exclusion zone. Each of the parks could have a 6 X 1000 MW or even a 6 X 1650 MW which would total to about 10,000 MW. The Government plans to create energy parks in Andhra Pradesh (Kowada), Gujarat (Chhayamithi Virdi), Maharashtra (Jaitapur) and West Bengal (Haripur).



Mr Banerjee said power generation from these parks would total 40,000 - 45,000 MW, but it would not come on stream in a day. Internationally, the supply of some of the equipment needed to build the reactors would take time. It is for this purpose that the Nuclear Power Corporation had entered into a joint venture with Larsen & Toubro to make large forgings. By harnessing domestic capabilities the country would be in a position to build lightwater reactors too.



The energy parks are expected to come up after 2020 as the projects face problems such as land acquisition. The parks would not have a mix of indigenous and imported reactors.