Westinghouse Electric Company and GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) are both moving towards early work agreements for new nuclear power plant sites in India.
Westinghouse announced 13 June that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) agreeing to negotiate an Early Works Agreement (EWA) supporting future construction of AP1000 nuclear power plants at the Mithivirdi site in Gujarat.
The Early Works Agreement will include preliminary licensing and site development work. Westinghouse told NEI that it hopes to complete negotiations on the EWA by autumn 2012.
GEH also announced 13 June that: “an early works agreement, is expected to be completed in the near future,” to bring its Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactors to India.
“Site preparations for the ESBWR units is underway near Kovvada in the state of Andhra Pradesh,” GEH said in a statement.
India’s new nuclear liability law has become a sticking point in the full implementation of the India-US nuclear deal, with some American companies reluctant to do business under the compensation legislation passed by the Indian parliament.
Westinghouse said it will continue to work in partnership with the US and India Governments to resolve the remaining issues surrounding nuclear liability.
