Industrial Way Forward Agreement between NPCIL and Électricité de France S. A. (EDF), France for the implementation of the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project
Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) a Government of India Enterprise under the Department of Atomic Energy has signed Industrial Way Forward Agreement with Électricité de France S. A. (EDF), France.
2. The Agreement was exchanged by Chairman AEC and Secretary DAE, Dr. Sekhar Basu and Mr. Jean Bernard Levy in the presence of Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi and H. E. the President of the French Republic Mr. Emmanuel Macron on 10th March 2018 in New Delhi. This Agreement prescribes a way forward for the implementation of the Jaitapur nuclear power project.
3. Excerpts on the Civil Nuclear Cooperation India-France Joint Statement during State visit of President of France to India (March 10, 2018):
• In pursuance of the 2008 Agreement on the Development of Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy between India and France as well as the January 2016 roadmap of cooperation, the two leaders noted with satisfaction the conclusion of the Industrial Way Forward Agreement between NPCIL and EDF for the Implementation of six nuclear power reactor units at Jaitapur, Maharashtra, India.
• The two leaders reiterated the goal of commencing works at the Jaitapur site around the end of 2018, and encouraged NPCIL and EDF to accelerate the contractual discussions in that respect. Once installed, the Jaitapur project will be the largest nuclear power plant in the world, with a total capacity of 9.6 GW. It will contribute, in addition to renewable energy, to achieving India’s goal of 40% non-fossil energy by 2030. In this context, they emphasized the need for the project to generate cost-effective electricity; economical and competitive financing package from the French side; reliable, uninterrupted and continued access to guaranteed fuel supply for the lifetime of the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plants; and collaboration on transfer of technology and cost-effective localization efforts of manufacturing in India. The latter includes transfer of rights on technology to be mutually agreed.
• They welcomed the understanding shared by the two parties on the enforcement of India’s rules and regulations on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damages applicable to the Jaitapur project. The understanding is based on the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act 2010, the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Rules 2011, and compliance of India’s rules and regulations with the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage, ratified and notified to the IAEA.
• The leaders welcomed the regular engagement between their atomic energy organizations and their growing collaboration in mutually beneficial scientific and training activities related to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and particularly the cooperation between CEA/INSTN and DAE/GCNEP. They also appreciated the long-standing relations and continuing interactions between their nuclear regulatory authorities – India’s Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) and France’s Autorité de sûreté Nucléaire (ASN) – which have facilitated sharing of valuable experiences, best practices and developments related to nuclear safety and regulatory issues.
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