Talks with French firm soon for nuclear reactors

Final negotiations between the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) and French firm Areva are expected to start soon. NPCIL chief S K Jain was in Paris last week in this connection, diplomatic sources said.

Areva had the “political clearance” to negotiate on the first generation European Pressurised Reactors (EPRs) and their construction in India. This comes even as the NPCIL is engaged in talks with US companies GE and Westinghouse and a Russian nuclear firm, besides Areva, for supply of nuclear reactors to India. What is interesting in the French offer is the proposal to even “construct” nuclear reactors on Indian soil.

It is also learnt that the French Government has given the green signal to the French company to give fuel supply assurances to the Indian Government. “France does not produce uranium, but it gets uranium from other countries. The French companies have been authorised to give fuel supply commitments so that there are no apprehensions on the fuel disruption.”

Paris has also proposed an international mechanism — on the lines of an international bank — on uranium, so that the growing demand for the nuclear fuel can be well-regulated.