Areva has offered to construct six such reactors, but talks at present are focused on two Areva EPRs generating 3200 MW. The American companies GE-Hitachi and Westinghouse (Japan's stakes are high in both companies) have offered their most advanced reactors and are keen to construct 10000 MW capacity reactors.

The Russians are already building two reactors of 1000 MW each at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu, and have offered to construct six more units of 1000 MW each. Talks for two more Russian reactors, to be set up at Kudankulam, the present site, are in an advanced stage.

The Indian nuclear power target has been pushed up to 50000 MW by 2020, of which the imported reactors will be of 30,000 MW capacity. Reactor import by India is expected to generate some 50 billion dollar worth of business.

The Integrated Energy Policy outlined by the Planning Commission, envisages reaching a nuclear power capacity of 63000 MWe by the year 2032 from the present 4120 MW by a mix of nuclear plants of both indigenous and foreign nuclear reactors.

Decks were cleared for India to take off on its new, ambitious nuclear power programme, following ratification by Government of India of the Safeguards Agreement between the Indian nuclear establishment and IAEA.

Ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Washington next month, the nuclear establishment has announced sites for setting up light water reactor plants in cooperation with US, France and Russia. Nuclear power plants in cooperation with United States and Japan are to be set up at nuclear parks in Chhayamithi Virdi in Gujarat and Kovvada in Andhra Pradesh, Jaitapaur in Maharashtra for France, and Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu and Haripur in West Bengal in cooperation with Russia.

Another major push to the Indian nuclear programme, in the wake of Nuclear Supplier Group's clearance for India for international nuclear commerce at its Vienna conclave last month, comes with moves for large uranium imports under IAEA safeguards. France and Russia have already delivered 500 tonnes and 2000 tonnes respectively of natural uranium. Uranium import deals have been concluded with Kazakhstan, Namibia, Mongolia and Argentina.

Uranium imports on a large scale will ensure capacity power utilization by the 17 indigenous power reactors that are operational. An even bigger programme of indigenous reactor construction is being pushed through with imported natural uranium as the fuel. Having mastered smaller capacity indigenous reactors - first of 220 MWe and now of 540 MWe capacity - in the next phase four 700 MWe PHWRs are to be built with indigenous technology. Pre-construction tests are being successfully carried out for the four 700 MWe indigenous PHWRs.

The remaining 10,000 MWe in the 2020 nuclear power target will thereby be built by these indigenous pressurized heavy water-moderated reactors. Also, the upcoming prototype 500 MW Fast Breeder Reactor and three succeeding FBRs will comprise the indigenous nuclear power programme in the coming decade.

It is anticipated that Washington will give clearance for American reprocessing technology for the Indian nuclear programme during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's forthcoming visit to the United States. This will provide a big push to the Indian nuclear power programme. The discussions in Washington will be keenly watched. (IPA)