France signs deal with India to supply nuclear power stations

Two years after reaching agreement with India on the supply of six European pressurised reactors (EPRs), Areva has signed a series of contracts with the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) for the construction of two 1,650-MW reactors. "India has little experience in the field of civilian nuclear power, which entails a large amount of technical preparation and lengthy negotiations," an Areva engineer said. The power stations should be in operation by 2020, at a cost of $9.2bn. Until 2008 there was an embargo on sales of civilian nuclear technology to India, but it is now the fourth country to purchase Areva EPRs, after France, Finland and China. India's environment minister, Jairam Ranesh, says that the project, on a 1,000-hectare site at Jaitapur, south of Mumbai, fulfils all the conditions to "reconcile the objectives of economic growth, fuel-mix diversification, global diplomacy and environmental protection". India uses coal to produce 70% of its energy, and is handicapped by a 10% shortfall in electricity output. Imports, which cover 80% of energy consumption, weigh heavily on its trade deficit. In 1984 an explosion in at a at Bhopal chemical works caused at least 20,000 deaths. Memories of this dominated parliamentary debate on a nuclear liability bill this summer. Discussions on how it will be implemented will continue between India and France. This article originally appeared in Le Monde