GE Hitachi Signs Two N-Pacts
with India's NPCIL & BHEL

GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy recently signed two agreements with the Nuclear Power Corp. of India Ltd. (NPCIL) and Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL), both state-owned companies, facilitating the building of multiple nuclear reactors in order to help meet India's energy production goals.

"We are extremely pleased to partner with companies of the caliber of NPCIL and BHEL for potential nuclear plant projects, which further demonstrates the global industry's confidence in our (advanced boiling-water reactor) technology," said GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy President & Chief executive Jack Fuller.

Mumbai-based NPCIL is India's only nuclear utility operating 17 reactors and New Delhi-based BHEL is the country's leading manufacturer and supplier of power generation equipment and components.

Under the preliminary agreements, GE Hitachi will begin planning with Nuclear Power Corporation and Bharat Heavy Electricals for the necessary resources in manufacturing and construction management for a potential multiple-unit advanced boiling water reactor nuclear power station.

"We look forward to working closely with Nuclear Power Corporation to expand electricity generation for the people of India. Towards the end, we also look forward to combining the expertise of Bharat Heavy Electricals with GE Hitachi's experienced, global nuclear power station supply chain capabilities," said president and chief executive officer of GE Hitachi, Jack Fuller.

The 1,350-MW water reactor technology is the world's only commercially proven Generation III reactor design, with the first two of four units entering service in 1996 and 1997 and four additional units under construction, said the company.

The new agreements lay the foundation for cooperation between GE Hitachi and the two Indian companies as additional steps are taken by the Indian and U.S. governments to implement the agreement on civilian nuclear cooperation they signed in October 2008.

Nuclear energy is important in GE Hitachi's long-standing ties with India. The General Electric Company built India's first nuclear plant, the Tarapur 1 and 2 boiling water reactor stations, during the 1960s, said GE. GE's revenue in India is approximately $2.6 billion, and the company employs more than 14,500 people across the country.

India's goal is to expand nuclear electricity generation from 4.1 gigawatts to 60 gigawatts by 2032.