IBNS-CMEDIA: Indian and French officials recently met in New Delhi to review the ongoing engagement between India and France’s Électricité de France (EDF) on the proposed deployment of EPR nuclear reactors in India.
The meeting was attended by Pankaj Agarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Power, and Bernard Fontana, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of EDF, France.
According to an official statement, the discussions focused on the deployment of EPR technology, regulatory reforms in India’s nuclear power sector, cooperation on pumped hydro storage projects and the way forward for a robust and mutually beneficial partnership.
EDF briefed the Indian side on its efforts to develop an ecosystem and supply chain in India to support large-scale localisation. The French company reiterated that a sizeable programme involving multiple nuclear reactors would provide greater confidence to suppliers and enable economies of scale by leveraging the capabilities of Indian industry.
Secretary (Power) Pankaj Agarwal briefed the French delegation on the progress made towards finalising India’s regulatory framework for the nuclear power sector. This includes the Draft SHANTI (Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India) Rules and Regulations, which have been placed in the public domain by the Department of Atomic Energy for stakeholder consultation.
The proposed rules seek to establish a streamlined and time-bound licensing framework and facilitate the participation of private and foreign partners in India’s nuclear power programme.
The two sides also discussed cooperation in pumped hydro storage projects, building on the proposed NTPC-EDF joint venture in the sector.
The discussions underline the broader India-France cooperation in nuclear energy and energy infrastructure, with both sides exploring opportunities to deepen industrial collaboration and strengthen supply-chain participation in India.
