‘India needs public-pvt civilian N-strategy’

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New Delhi, Nov 14: While it will take sometime for India to build a sound civil nuclear industry, the United States and France-both of which have finalised the nuclear co-operation agreement with India-have started pitching hard for maximising the supplies of nuclear reactors to India.

A clear indication to this effect was given by the United States ambassador to India David Mulford on Friday, who said the civil nuclear industry in the US is the most competitive in the world and the fears being expressed on the competitiveness of the US civil nuclear industry were baseless.

Setting aside apprehensions of nuclear supplies from Europe being better than from the US, Mulford said the US has built the highest number reactors at 104 and the US nuclear industry was the most suited to meet the needs of India’s nuclear programme.

Mulford further said that a US trade mission comprising of leading manufacturers of nuclear reactors, technical experts along with officials from the US regulatory and safeguard authorities will be visiting India from December 3 to 9. The mission, he said, would hold detailed discussions on the commercial and technical aspects of co-operating with India in its nuclear power programme.

While speaking at a CII’s session on “Indo-US nuclear deal—the way forward”, Mulford said that India needs a public-private civilian nuclear strategy that establishes sound, transparent policies that lay the groundwork for large scale and competitive electricity production.India has already hinted that it is also planning to amend its Atomic Energy Act to allow private companies, including foreign firms, to enter nuclear power generation sector.

Also, the Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) have indicated that the requirement of nuclear reactors to be sourced by India for its nuclear power programme in the next 12 years will be at least around 20 odd reactors. As a result, the competition emerging from the US and France seems obvious.

On his part, the US Atomic Regulatory Commission Chairman Dale E Klein shared his views on the regulatory regime including the common regulatory standards, required to be evolved by India following the Indo-US civil nuclear co-operation deal.