French President Emmanuel Macron's trip likely to boost Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant

French President Emmanuel Macron's planned trip to India in the first quarter of this year is expected to witness major progress on the proposed Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) that is being built by French nuclear major EDF in collaboration with Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL).

The technical, financial and civil nuclear liability issues pertaining to the much delayed Jaitapur project are expected to be resolved by both sides before Macron's visit, ET has learnt.

Macron’s diplomatic advisor Emmanual Bonne was in New Delhi last week to set the stage for the visit of the French president and issue of Jaitapur NPP figured in the strategic dialogue between him and NSA Ajit Doval.


India has announced plans to construct six 1,650 MW nuclear power plants at Jaitapur in Ratnagiri, which could become the nation's largest nuclear power site once completed with a 9,900 MW capacity.

Currently, expert discussions are ongoing on the different tracks (technical, civil liability and financing).

There has also been dedicated discussion with EDF and Indian counterparts, ET has further learnt.

In 2021, EDF made a legally binding offer to NPCIL to construct six European Pressurized Reactors (EPRs) at Jaitapur. A high-level EDF team visited India in May last year and had extensive discussions with NPCIL representatives.

As the owner and future operator of the plant, NPCIL will be in charge of the construction and commissioning of the units as well as obtaining all required permits and consents in India.

The project was originally proposed in 2010 and NPCIL had even constructed a camp office.

Last week, Bonne’s meetings with Doval and the foreign minister saw India and France reiterating commitment to take forward strategic partnership to ensure peace, stability and security in the Indo-Pacific based on common beliefs in rules-based international order and strategic autonomy.

The two sides discussed global security environment, expanding the scope of defence cooperation to include co-development of futuristic technologies in line with the Modi government’s priorities of ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, said Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson at the ministry of external affairs (MEA).