March 10, 2018
Agreement signed during French President Emmanuel Macron’s first state visit to India; Jaitapur is set to be the biggest nuclear project in the world, with a total power capacity of around 10 GW
The EDF Group has been committed to civil nuclear cooperation between France and India since 2010, within the framework of bilateral agreements signed between the strategic partner states
Nuclear energy provides easy solution to rising electricity demand in a country undergoing rapid growth and equipped with a mature power transmission and distribution system such as in India
EDF will supply the technology, conduct engineering studies and procure all components for the first two reactors. For the rest four, some the responsibilities may be assigned to local companies
The French state-controlled power utility Électricité de France SA has entered into an agreement with the Nuclear Power Corp of India Ltd (NPCIL) to supply six EPR reactors for a nuclear power plant being set up at Jaitapur in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra, according to the statement on March 10th. Jaitapur is set to be the biggest nuclear project in the world, with a total power generation capacity of around 10 GW. The EPR is a third generation pressurized water reactor. Under the terms of the agreement, EDF will supply the EPR technology, besides conducting engineering studies and procuring all components for the first two reactors. For the other four units, some the same responsibilities may be assigned to local companies. The partnership will provide NPCIL will critical expertise from EDF, which operates 58 reactors 19 power plants in France.
As the owner and future operator of the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant, NPCIL will be responsible for obtaining all authorisations and certifications required in India, and for constructing all six reactors and site infrastructures. EDF and its industrial partners will assist NPCIL during the construction phase. In this manner, the knowledge and expertise required to operate the plant can be readily shared. It will also pave the way for the industrial involvement of Indian companies in the project, opening up possibilities for partnerships within the French nuclear power sector. In this way, the project will be developed in line with India’s “Make in India” and “Skill India” programmes, with the ever-increasing participation of local companies, reaching a potential 60 per cent for last two of the six reactors. EDF is expected to submit its final tender for the project by the end of 2018.
The agreement, signed during French President Emmanuel Macron’s first state visit to India over March 10-12, comes as part of India’s aim to make at least 40 per cent of its energy generation carbon-free by 2030. In addition to the agreement with NPCIL, EDF has also signed two agreements with French and Indian firms, setting out the foundation for the Jaitapur project. The first agreement, involving French engineering firms Assystem, Egis and Bouygues along with India’s Reliance, seeks to set up engineering joint venture within the Jaitapur project. The second agreement, signed with Indian construction firm Larsen&Toubro, French nuclear technology company AFCEN and French certification agency Bureau Veritas, will create a training centre compliant with standards for the design and construction of equipment for the nuclear industry (RCC codes).