France's EDF, GE To Co-Build Reactors For Huge Indian Nuclear Plant

French utility EDF and General Electric have signed a pact to jointly build six reactors for India’s most ambitious nuclear power plant at Jaitapur in Maharashtra, the two companies said in a statement. 

State run-Nuclear Power Corporation of India is building a 9,900 megawatt (mw) plant at Jaitapur, which upon completion would be the world’s largest nuclear power unit. Earlier this year, the French President Emmanuel Macron during his visit to India signed a pact with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to expedite the project, which has been a slow start due to delays in approvals and protests. 

“This strategic agreement marks the beginning of a new phase in the implementation of the world’s biggest nuclear project at Jaitapur. This long term agreement with GE, underpinned by a synergy of combined skills and the convergence of our long-term strategies in India, is yet another promising brick supporting the future of this project which is essential for the future of this project which is essential for the future of India’s energy mix and for EDF,” said Xavier Ursat, group senior executive vice president of EDF in charge of new nuclear projects and engineering. 

The plant will have six nuclear reactors of capacity 1,650 mw each. GE Power will design the conventional island for the Jaitapur plant and supply its main components. The company will also provide operational support services and a training programme to respond to the requirements of NPCIL. EDF will be responsible for engineering integration for the entire project and will provide all the requisite input data.