Areva offers NPCIL, AEC stakes in uranium mines abroad
08 Jul 2011
New Delhi: French energy major Areva, due to land a major contract in India for six nuclear reactors of 9,600 mw capacity, has offered stakes to state-run Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) in uranium mines abroad.
According to reports, a senior Areva India official as confirming that the French company had offered NPCIL and the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) stakes in its new and existing uranium mining projects.
Reports quote the Areva official as saying that NPCIL had shown interest and talks were progressing for Indian investment in some African uranium mines.
Areva is one the biggest producers of uranium and has mines in Canada, Kazakhstan and Africa.
Areva is slated to supply NPCIL with six of its European Pressurised Reactors (EPR) in a deal estimated to be worth Rs60,000 crore. The nuclear park, with six third generation reactors, will be located at Jaitapur in Maharashtra.
Third-generation reactors are the most advanced in their class.