Naveen Jindal Group in nuclear talks with US, French firms

Naveen Jindal Group has initiated discussions with global nuclear technology providers, including France-based EDF and Westinghouse of the US for its proposed nuclear power projects in India, a person in the know said.

The Group is also in discussions with State-owned Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) to explore possibilities of sourcing technology for future nuclear projects with large module reactors (LMRs) of 700 MW and above.

The steel-to-ports conglomerate plans to develop around 18 GW of nuclear power capacity across multiple states with an estimated investment of `2 lakh crore, contributing to the Government’s target of achieving 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047.

While evaluating sites across more than nine states, the Group has simultaneously initiated discussions with leading global nuclear technology providers. These include France’s EDF, US-based Westinghouse and several other international technology companies, alongside NPCIL, to evaluate advanced reactor technologies for deployment in India, the person said.

The discussions include EDF’s 1,650 MW European Pressurised Reactors (EPRs), Westinghouse’s 1,150 MW AP1000 reactors, NPCIL’s indigenous 700 MW Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) technology, as well as other globally available reactor technologies under evaluation.

The final technology mix will be selected after assessing safety, scalability, commercial viability and long-term operational performance, the person added.

Naveen Jindal Group is among the few corporate houses to announce plans to invest in India’s nuclear power sector following the legal amendments introduced by the government to facilitate greater private sector participation.

Jindal Nuclear Power Private Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jindal Renewables, is evaluating potential sites in Gujarat, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, among other states. The proposed projects will deploy large module reactors of 700 MW and above.

Tata Power and NTPC — which is implementing nuclear projects through a joint venture with NPCIL in Rajasthan — have also announced plans to develop nuclear power projects of varying capacities by 2047.