Larsen & Toubro (L&T) on Monday said its joint venture with Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), had received Rs 442 crore order for supply of forgings for nuclear steam generators.
“L&T Special Steels and Heavy Forgings Pvt Ltd, a joint venture of Larsen & Toubro and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited, has received an order worth Rs 442 crore from NPCIL to supply forgings for steam generators,” L&T said in a BSE filing.
These forgings will be used in the manufacturing of the critical equipment for six new indigenous pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs), it added.
Shares of L&T were trading 1.07 per cent higher at Rs 1,304 on BSE.
In pursuant of its ambitious plan to triple the component of nuclear energy in Indian power matrix in the next decade, the Union Government is working towards expediting the pre-project activities for the 10 indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs). These reactors are expected to add 7000 MW of power by the year 2031.
The government had given administrative approval and financial sanction for setting up the 10 indigenous PHWRs in fleet mode at an estimated cost of Rs. 105,000 crore (USD 16.3 billion) in June 2017.
“For timely implementation of these projects, the Government has initiated several measures including expediting pre-project activities, obtaining statutory clearances, procurement of long manufacturing cycle equipment, human resource planning etc.,” the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), Minister of State PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh informed in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
The 2 units of the PHWRs are expected to come up in Chutka (Madhya Pradesh), 2 Units in Kaiga (Karnataka), 4 Units in Mahi Banswara (Rajasthan) and 2 Units in Gorakhpur (Haryana). Each unit has a capacity of 700 MW. These ten Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) are being built based on indigenous technology and supply of equipment and services by Indian industry.
India’s current installed nuclear power capacity is 6780 MW from its 22 operational plants. Another 6700 MWs of nuclear power is expected to be added to it by 2021-22 through projects presently under construction. The ten PHWRs units will come up in fleet mode under the “Make in India” project and is aimed at giving impetus to the domestic industry.
Manufacturing orders worth Rs. 70,000 crores (about USD 10.9 billion) are likely to go to the domestic industry. It is expected to generate more than 33,400 jobs in direct and indirect employment. With manufacturing orders to domestic industry, it will be a major step towards strengthening India’s credentials as a major nuclear manufacturing powerhouse.