US companies start lobbying for slice of India's nuclear pie
08 Dec 2009
US-based nuclear power equipment makers have begun extensive discussions with Indian companies to set up joint venture manufacturing facilities in order to secure supply contracts. A 50-member US business delegation is visiting India this week to push implementation of the Indo-US deal, which promises to open up India's multi-billion-dollar nuclear market to American firms.
GE Hitachi and Westinghouse Electric Co, two major industrial engineering companies from the US, on Monday said on the sidelines of a CII event in New Delhi that they have begun talks with Indian companies to roll out their nuclear power offering in the country.
So far, US firms have lagged in a competitive scramble with Russian and French firms, whose governments guarantee their liability in case of an industrial accident. The US companies on the other hand want to restrict their liability in case of accident; and are lobbying the Indian government to change the laws in this regard.
"We are talking to several vendors, such as Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL), Bharat Forge and Larsen and Toubro (L&T), for manufacturing castings and forgings for the nuclear power plants," GE Hitachi senior vice-president, nuclear plant projects Daniel L Roderick said.
Westinghouse for its part is more interested in supplying nuclear power equipment. "We are in preliminary talks with Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) for supply of equipment," Robert T Pearce, director, international customer project development, Westinghouse, said. An agreement may be signed next year.
L&T has already signed an agreement with NPCIL for manufacturing nuclear power equipment. "We want a reliable component supplier; we want them (L&T-NPCIL) to make forgings for us as we are the technology provider," Roderick said.
