Westinghouse Electric Company is set to begin discussions with India's Nuclear Power Corporation to reach an agreement on the deployment of Westinghouse AP1000 (TM) nuclear power plants in India.
The company has made the announcement following the signing of a memorandum of understanding by NPCIL chairman and managing director S K Jain, and Westinghouse president and CEO Aris S Candris.
Candris said it is logical for the two companies to work together to further expand India's already robust nuclear power industry. "NPCIL is India's nuclear power plant company, with the broadest range of expertise encompassing design, engineering, construction, commissioning and operation," he said.
"We look forward to bringing our AP1000 nuclear technology to India through such an experienced and well-respected organisation as NPCIL," he said.
Meena Mutyala, Westinghouse vice president and business leader for India, confirmed that Westinghouse would make use of India-based companies and labor. She said Westinghouse is now exploring potential opportunities to work with companies such as Larsen & Toubro and others to provide construction-related services, equipment and modules for AP1000s to be built in India.
In an interview with rediff.com ahead of her visit to the India in January this year, Mutyala said Westinghouse believes India is a very important market for Westinghouse, which is one of the world's leading suppliers of nuclear plant products and technologies.
"There is need for electricity in India, and with the opening up of the nuclear trade between US and India following the civilian nuclear power agreement, we at Westinghouse believe we can really help India strengthen its nuclear infrastructure with our technology and to work with what India has," Mutyala, told rediff.com.
Last week Mutyala said that Westinghouse's global track record of success with localisation is well documented. "In India, with an already-established infrastructure, we also hope to qualify companies to assist us in constructing or providing equipment for AP1000s elsewhere in the world," she said.
Candris said that the company was confident that its business model, with emphasis on localization and infrastructure development, will benefit NPCIL and Westinghouse as well as the Indian and the United States.
Evidently, Westinghouse is attaching a lot of importance to the Indian market. IN November last year the company appointed Mutyala to the newly created position of vice president and business leader, India Strategy.
Mutyala is responsible for formulating a business strategy to pursue commercial nuclear power opportunities in India.
The AP1000, design certified by the NRC in early 2006, is fast becoming the technology of choice in key markets throughout the world. In December 2006, China's State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation selected Westinghouse to provide four AP1000s.
In the United States, the AP1000 is the announced technology of choice for no less than 14 new plants.
Mutyala said the company would start working on the AP 1000 in India by 2010 which are economical to construct and maintain. "It will take six years to complete; so by 2016 we will be up and running," she said in the earlier interview.
