Senior officials from state-run Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) have inaugurated the country’s first private-sector test facility for upgrading depleted heavy water, commissioned by TEMA India Ltd.

The facility was jointly inaugurated by Shri Rajesh V, Director – Technical, NPCIL, and Shri K.T. Shenoy, Director of the Chemical Engineering Group at BARC.

Developed under technology transfer from BARC and backed by a purchase order from NPCIL, the advanced test facility has been designed and built by TEMA India’s nuclear division. This milestone aligns with the Government of India’s Atma-Nirbhar Bharat mission and represents a significant leap in private sector participation in strategic infrastructure.

Until now, such critical testing infrastructure for heavy water distillation components existed only within BARC.

Also unveiled at the event was the first validated consignment of eight distillation column sections. These include activated phosphor bronze modules — essential for Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) — which have undergone thorough in-house testing.

These modules are now set to be deployed across major nuclear power projects, including RAPP Unit 8, GHAVP Units 1–4, and KAIGA Units 5 and 6.

This initiative demonstrates growing self-reliance in high-technology sectors. By fully designing, manufacturing and validating nuclear components domestically, India is reducing its dependence on foreign imports and centralised public-sector testing infrastructure.