June 26, 2018
This crucial agreement lays the foundation for a long term partnership concerning the construction of a conventional island on each of the six reactor units
GE Power will design the conventional island for the Jaitapur nuclear plant and EDF will be responsible for engineering integration covering the entire project
The six EPR reactors at Jaitapur power plant will have generation capacity of around 10 GW, making Jaitapur the world’s largest nuclear power generation facility
The agreement comes as part of India’s aim to make at least 40 per cent of its power generation carbon-free by 2030, along with empowering Make in India and Skill India
Électricité de France SA (EDF) and General Electric Co (GE) signed a strategic cooperation agreement on June 26th to help set up a planned nuclear power plant on the western coast on India. The French power utility and the USA-based engineering company will construct six EPR nuclear power reactors at Jaitapur in Maharashtra. This crucial agreement lays the foundation for a long term partnership concerning the construction of a conventional island on each of the six reactor units. A conventional island comprises all components and systems that are used for converting steam generated by the nuclear reactor into electrical power. The agreement was signed between Xavier Ursat, the vice president of EDF’s new nuclear projects and engineering, and Andreas Lusch, the chief executive of GE’s steam power business.
GE Power will lead the design of the conventional island for the Jaitapur nuclear plant and supply its main components. The company will also provide operational support services and training programme to respond to the requirements of the Nuclear Power Corp of India Ltd (NPCIL), the Indian owner and operator of the future nuclear power plant currently under discussion. Meanwhile, EDF will be responsible for engineering integration covering the entire project (nuclear island, conventional island and auxiliary systems) and will provide all the requisite input data. The latest agreement is an important step in implementing the Industrial Way Forward Agreement which was signed with NPCIL in March 2018. Under the latest deal, EDF will supply and help set up EPR technology with industrial partners.
The six EPR reactors will have generation capacity of around 10 GW, making Jaitapur the world’s largest nuclear power generation facility. The EPR is a third generation pressurized water reactor. The deal will provide NPCIL will critical expertise from EDF, which operates 73 nuclear reactors worldwide, including 58 in France. The agreement, signed during French President Emmanuel Macron’s first state visit to India over March 10-12, came as part of India’s aim to make at least 40 per cent of its power generation carbon-free by 2030. The deal allows partnerships with local firms to make the construction of the project as indigenous as possible. In this way, the project will be developed in line with India’s “Make in India” and “Skill India” programmes, besides alleviating the nation’s rising power demand concern.