US firm to build nuclear reactor in India

US firm to build nuclear reactor in IndiaUS-based, Westinghouse Electric is planning to build a new 1,000 MW nuclear reactor in India under the framework of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal signed in 2008.

Westinghouse has entered into a deal with India’s the Nuclear Power Company of India Limited (NPCIL) for the Early Works Agreement (EWA) for the establishment of the nuclear reactor. The MoU was announced at a time when the third Indo-US Strategic Dialogue headed by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and External Affairs Minister S M Krishna is being held in the US.

The MoU for the proposed reactor in at the Mithivirdi site in Bhavnagar district in Gujarat, will pave the way for further work that needs to be undertaken before the setting up of the reactor. The EWA will include preliminary licensing and site development work to be carried out by the company.

Mrs. Clinton said jointl conference with Mr. Krishna that the MoU is a significant step towards fulfillment of the historic nuclear cooperation agreement that was signed between the two countries in 2008. She also said that there is a lot of work to be done including understanding the implications of the civil nuclear liability law.

"This agreement is an important step which will allow Westinghouse and NPCIL to continue the work necessary for keeping the Mithivirdi project moving forward," said Gary Urquhart, vice president and managing director of Westinghouse India.