Mumbai: As the saying goes finally one can see light at the end of the tunnel. After debates, opposition and pending technical and financial procedures, the French Energy Group EDF on Friday declared that it has filed a binding offer to supply engineering studies and equipment to build six third-generation European Pressurised Reactors (EPR) with 1,650 MW each to the state-run Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) for the Jaitapur nuclear power project in Maharashtra. The proposed project will have a total generation capacity of a record 9,900 MW.
The binding techno-commercial offer to supply engineering studies and equipment for building six EPR was made by EDF on Thursday, and it will “enable discussions aimed at converging towards a binding framework agreement in the coming months”, the French embassy said in a statement. EDF’s final offer includes the detailed technical configuration of the reactors, taking into account information provided by NPCIL on the Jaitapur site conditions and the joint work done by the two organisations, and the associated commercial terms and conditions for supplying engineering studies and equipment for six reactors.
EDF will guarantee the performance of each of the reactors under specific conditions and for a predefined period of time, and also offer training for NPCIL’s operating teams. On its part, NPCIL will be responsible for the construction and commissioning of the reactors and for obtaining all necessary permits and consents in India, including the certification of the EPR technology by the Indian safety regulator.
It is a follow-up to the Industrial Way Forward Agreement signed by the two sides in March 2018 in New Delhi and to a non-binding proposal submitted by EDF at the end of 2018.
The project was initiated by the NPCIL way back in 2010 has been stuck up despite two agreements were signed for the supply of reactors in December 2010 and April 2015.
However, the project could not be kick-started after the Fukushima nuclear accident and exit of Areva. Thereafter, EDF had stepped in and engaged in technical and financial negotiations with NPCIL but could not make progress.
