The Union government announced ongoing discussions with Westinghouse Electric Company (WEC) of the US for a project proposal to construct six 1,000 MW nuclear reactors at Kovvada, Andhra Pradesh. In a written response in Lok Sabha, Jitendra Singh, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, detailed the progress on land acquisition and pre-project activities.

The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) has secured 2,079.66 acres for the main plant and 190.7 acres for a rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) colony, with additional land identified for the employee township.

NPCIL has also transferred Rs 5.06 billion for land acquisition and R&R packages and Rs 772.3 million for the R&R colony. Key pre-project developments include completing geotechnical, geological, and seismo-tectonic studies, constructing a 13-km boundary wall, establishing six micro-earthquake stations, and setting up a meteorological monitoring lab.

"Discussions with Westinghouse Electric Company are ongoing to finalize a viable proposal for six AP1000 reactors at Kovvada. WEC is yet to submit a Techno-Commercial Offer (TCO)," Singh noted. The government has approved an additional Rs 8.82 billion for the construction of the R&R colony and other pre-project activities, signalling continued commitment to the project.

(ET)