Reliance Infrastructure Limited (RInfra) has emerged the lowest bidder for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract tendered by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) for the Units 3 and 4 of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu, sources told IANS news agency. Sources of Nuclear Asia confirmed the information.
According to the sources, the bids for balance of plant (BOP) and common services were opened on Tuesday and RInfra’s bid was pegged around Rs 1,000 crore. The project is to be commissioned in 56 months. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and Larsen & Toubro (L&T India) also participated in the tender.
The order is for design, engineering, procurement, manufacturing, supply, erection/construction, testing, commissioning, handing over and performance guarantee of common serves systems, structures and components for the upcoming third and fourth nuclear power plants at Kudankulam.
India’s atomic power plant operator NPCIL has two 1,000 MW units at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) built with Russian equipment.
The new tender is for two more units to be set up in Kudankulam which is in Tirunelveli district, around 650 km from here.
However, a RInfra spokesperson declined comment on the development.
Speaking to IANS earlier, S.V.Jinna, Site Director, KNPP, said some of the equipment for the upcoming third and fourth units at Kudankulam has arrived from Russia.
He said construction work is going on for the third and fourth units.
NPCIL officials were not available for comment on the latest development.
The current installed nuclear power capacity in India comprises of 22 reactors with a total capacity of 6780 MW. The present share of nuclear energy is about 3.2% in the current financial year 2016-17 (up to Feb-2017).
India has accorded ‘in principle’ approval of five sites for locating 28 nuclear power reactors with a total capacity of about 32000 MW.
In addition, there are presently nine reactors under construction with a total capacity of 6700 MW. The Government has also recently accorded administrative approval and financial sanction for twelve reactors with a total capacity of 9000 MW.
