Aleksey Likhachev says firms could invest billions and help create the gigawatt-scale capacity that India is targeting
Russia’s Rosatom is in “confidential talks” with Indian private companies on building nuclear power plants in India, CEO Aleksey Likhachev has said, without revealing the names of the players involved.
India is seeking to raise its nuclear generating capacity to 100 GW by 2047, from the current 8.87 GW, and has opened up the sector to greater private participation to meet the goal.
“Such negotiations with Indian companies are already underway,” Likhachev told RT on the sidelines of the recently concluded BRICS Summit in New Delhi. He added that the discussions remain confidential, but said Indian companies have capabilities in metallurgy, construction, and advanced digital technologies that could be used in large-scale nuclear power generation.
Some of those advanced capabilities were on display at the inaugural edition of the INNOPROM. India industrial fair in New Delhi last week, which brought together more than 120 Indian and Russian companies.
India will need to sharply increase the number of nuclear units it commissions to create the additional 90 GW capacity, the Rosatom CEO said, calling it a “massive challenge for the entire industry” and the Indian state.
Likhachev termed India’s SHANTI Act, which allows private businesses and joint ventures to participate in the construction and operation of nuclear power plants, a “breakthrough.”
He said Indian companies are now ready to discuss investments running into billions and the creation of gigawatt-scale generating capacity. They could take part under the Build-Own-Operate (BOO) model or through full project management during construction and subsequent operation, he pointed out.
However, India’s Department of Atomic Energy remains Rosatom’s main partner in government-to-government nuclear cooperation, he said.
Roughly half of the nuclear capacity currently under construction in India uses Russian technology, Likhachev noted, adding Rosatom is increasing localization of its nuclear technology under India’s Make-in-India program.
The main Russia-India nuclear venture is the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. Its first two Russian-designed units have generated more than 130 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity so far, while another four units are under construction.
Likhachev said India’s energy consumption is expected to grow 2.5-fold by 2050, adding nuclear power would be needed to meet this rise in demand.
