India, US sign first commercial agreement under nuclear deal

[Srinivas]

India, US sign first commercial agreement under nuclear deal

The landmark India-US civil nuclear stalled over India's 2010 nuclear liability law is finally moving forward with the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) and the Westinghouse Electric Company signing a preliminary commercial contract. The agreement on the first commercial deal was announced by President Barack Obama himself after his summit meeting on Friday with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the White House oval office. "We've made enormous progress on the issue of civilian nuclear power, and in fact, have been able to achieve just in the last few days an agreement on the first commercial agreement between a US company and India on civilian nuclear power," he said.

A factsheet issued by the White House later said this agreement should facilitate progress toward licensing the AP-1000 nuclear reactor technology in India. Noting that Indian government is planning to develop commercial nuclear power sites in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh using US nuclear technology, it said both governments also decided to complete discussions on the Administrative Arrangements at an early date. India plans to buy six of the Westinghouse-manufactured AP 1000 nuclear reactors in a deal worth about $ 14 billion for its nuclear power projectat Chayya-Mithivirdi in Gujarat, one of the two sites set aside for American firms under the nuclear deal. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Indian Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) also intend to sign a memorandum of understanding for the exchange of technical information in nuclear safety matters, it was announced. "This arrangement should solidify close cooperation between the regulators," the factsheet said. Noting that the two countries work closely on global non-proliferation and arms control, it said the US continues to support India's full membership in the four multilateral export control regimes - Nuclear Suppliers Group, Missile Technology Control Regime, Wassenaar Arrangement, and Australia Group, in a phased manner. US also welcomed India's March 2013 update to its Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipment, and Technology (SCOMET) list. The United States and India also collaborate on nuclear security issues and look forward to working together in the lead up to the next Nuclear Security Summit to be held in The Hague in March 2014, the White House said.

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/india-us...ear-deal/425049-2.html?utm_source=ref_article

 

[navtrek]

Was there any dilution in the Nuclear Liability bill to facilitate the deal?

 

[shiv]

Was there any dilution in the Nuclear Liability bill to facilitate the deal?

a dilution at several levels I would say !! Congress have sold down the indian citizen's interest down the gutter !!

Just a heads up to what I am saying : Congress have added a clause which basically waives off the right of any indian citizen to sue the american operators of the nuclear plant in case of a disaster instead the NPCIL will levy the penalty. This is a very very dangerous proposition !

Please do remember that the same sh!t was pulled by congress in case of bhopal tragedy by the same congress !

That was one legal aspect of it ! THere are plenty !

Coming to the technical aspect.

Westinghouse is offering Ap1000 pressurized light water reactors which is basically based on Ap600 designs. Now these Ap600 designs are still under construction and by some stretch we can consider them as "reliable" designs. Inspite of heavy subsidies given by US govt. the construction has had several delays and cost over runs and serious doubts are being raised as to the feasibility of the project and the cost at which power will be generated.

Now coming to the Ap1000 models.. No where in the world are they being constructed and they are completely new designs.. They will be offered to India for the first time. The only guarantee we have for the reliability is that they are based on tested Ap600 designs.

Even if we consider them safe for a second, and throw in the govt subsidies which are given to any large infrastructure related projects and the relatively low indian construction/labour costs ... The reactors would come at a price of around 8billion $ which roughly boils down to Rs 12-18 per unit ! Currently in bangalore we pay like 4-5 bucks per unit.

Not only that, by even the most conservative of the estimates, at 12 per unit, the cost would be twice the cost at which kudankulam reactors would provide electricity ( even including the huge construction over runs )

I must say, common indians will pay through the nose for the deal which we have with westinghouse currently !!

 

[AADHAAR]

We need to develop nuclear power rapidly ... but make sure that the economics work ... and the safety works.

About 20% of power produced in USA is nuclear power.

For France it is 76% !!!!

India needs a lot of nuclear power, before it reaches close to any of those percentages.

Nuclear power means.. freedom from coal, natural gas etc. And in the long run it is cheap, reliable and uncorrelated to price of oil or natural gas.

 

[anant_s]

Westinghouse Electric Company once again sets a new industry standard with the AP1000® reactor. Historically, Westinghouse plant designs and technology have forged the cutting edge of worldwide nuclear technology. Today, about 50 percent of the world's 440 nuclear plants are based on Westinghouse technology.

The AP1000 is the safest and most economical nuclear power plant available in the worldwide commercial marketplace, and is the only Generation III+ reactor to receive Design Certification from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

The AP1000 features proven technology, innovative passive safety systems and offers:
•Unequaled safety
•Economic competitiveness
•Improved and more efficient operations
The AP1000 builds and improves upon the established technology of major components used in current Westinghouse-designed plants with proven, reliable operating experience over the past 50 years. These components include:
•Steam generators
•Digital instrumentation and controls
•Fuel
•Pressurizers
•Reactor vessels
Simplification was a major design objective for the AP1000. The simplified plant design includes overall safety systems, normal operating systems, the control room, construction techniques, and instrumentation and control systems. The result is a plant that is easier and less expensive to build, operate and maintain.

The AP1000 design saves money and time with an accelerated construction time period of approximately 36 months, from the pouring of first concrete to the loading of fuel. Also, the innovative AP1000 features:

•50% fewer safety-related valves
•80% less safety-related piping
•85% less control cable
•35% fewer pumps
•45% less seismic building volume

Westinghouse AP1000

 

[anant_s]

Passive Heat Removal System

In case of extended loss of electrical power (ESBO), there is a provision of a large water tank which will cool the fule thorugh Thermo-siphoning, taking heat from pressurizer and condensing steam and returning the water to SG and ulitmately to reactor core. This scheme thus takes care of very basis of what went wrong at Fukushima Daiichi where loss of all power led to complete loss of cooling water in core and later meltdown.

More on AP 1000 safety systems here & here.