India, US sign first commercial nuclear plant deal

Both make enormous progress on civilian nuclear power.

The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) and Westinghouse Electric Company have a preliminary commercial contract that should facilitate progress toward licensing Westinghouse’s AP-1000 nuclear reactor technology in India. India plans to buy six of the Westinghouse-made AP 1000 nuclear reactors in a deal worth about US$14 billion for its nuclear power project at Chayya-Mithivirdi in Gujarat, one of the two sites set aside for American firms under the nuclear deal.

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Indian Atomic Energy Regulatory Board also intend to sign a memorandum of understanding for the exchange of technical information in nuclear safety matters. The agreement on the first commercial deal was announced during the recent summit involving President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the White House oval office.