Modi-Trump meet: Proposed reactors by Westinghouse in Andhra Pradesh expected to figure

NEW DELHI: The issue of proposed set of six reactors by Westinghouse in Andhra Pradesh is expected to figure at the Summit meet between PM Modi and Trump on Monday in Washington, but a forward movement on the project is vexed with complications owing to bankruptcy issues faced by the US nuclear major and absence of a functional reference atomic plant.

As per the initial plan, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India ( NPCIL) and Westinghouse were scheduled to conclude a techno-commercial pact for the proposed plant in June this year but the US company’s financial troubles has slowed down the progress. According to a joint statement by Modi and the then US president Barack Obama in 2015, both sides had resolved to work towards “finalising the contractual agreement by June 2017”.

The two leaders are expected to give momentum to the Indo-US nuclear partnership by reviewing the progress of the 2008 civil nuclear deal, according to officials. Westinghouse, which was acquired by Japanese conglomerate Toshiba in 2006 for $5.4 billion, filed for bankruptcy in March. Top Westinghouse officials who visited India twice since March had indicated that they would wait to resolve the bankruptcy issue before moving forward with the project.






The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and NPCIL held similar views before the two sides conclude a techno-commercial pact, officials said, adding that the two sides are currently holding discussions on these aspects.