Jaitapur nuclear plant making progress

New Delhi Feb 09, 2012, 00:45 IST

The Jaitapur nuclear power plant project, which is going to be built as part of the India-France civilian nuclear cooperation agreement, would take off soon, Bernard Bigot, chairman of the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission said here on Wednesday.

“Progress is happening there. I am confident the project will take off soon. Ground breaking is a matter of time. This project will take off as soon as possible,” Bigot told reporters after his meeting with Srikumar Banerjee, secretary, department of atomic energy and chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, on Wednesday.

He also presented an assessment report to the government on the feasibility in having the plant at Jaitapur in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan last year. Bigot assured India that stringent safety standards would be implemented in the Jaitapur plant and safety would be top priority during any situation. The project has witnessed stiff opposition by the locals ever since it was announced in December 2010 as part of an agreement signed between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Indian PM Manmohan Singh to build European Pressurized Reactors and the supply of nuclear fuel for 25 years.

“The government of India is fully aware of consequences and safety of the project is their topmost priority as much as it is ours. The report also assured them reduction of risks and lower impact. We are on the road to reach an agreement soon,” Bigot said.

Bigot also reiterated the fact that without support from the local public, the project would not become successful. He said the DAE is “doing its best” to build public support.

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The $9.3 billion project was signed between French nuclear engineering firm Areva S.A. and Indian state-owned nuclear operator Nuclear Power Corporation of India. This would be the largest nuclear power generating station in the world generating 9900 MW of power.