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L&T’s disclosure on the nuclear equipment supplies to the US has also marked the first indigenous
development and delivery of heat exchanger tubes for steam generators used in nuclear power reactors
by the Hyderabad-based Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC), a unit of the department of atomic energy. NFC is
the fourth company in the world to produce these alloy tubes (or U tubes), which have very stringent
technical requirements covering chemical and mechanical properties, ultrasonic testing, according to
NFC officials.
L&T had placed Rs. 45 crore worth of orders with NFC to develop and supply these heat exchangers for
the nuclear reactors being built for the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) instead of importing
the same.
The decision for indigenous development of this important component of the steam generator came
after the NPCIL was told by the foreign suppliers that the time of delivery and price of the tubes will be
decided by them, according to SK Jain, chairman and managing director of NPCIL.
“I recently said that India is going to become a global hub of nuclear reactor technology and the day has
already come,” Jain said referring to L&T's equipment supplies to the US. According to Kotwal, L&T has
also received orders for supply of nuclear reactor equipment from Europe as well.
Kotwal said that the Rs. 1,700-crore joint venture facility, being set up by L&T and NPCIL with a 74; 26
per cent equity holding at Hazira for manufacturing outer shells of steam generators and other
equipment apart from heavy forgings, had started operations.
The Phase-I will see the facility handling 300 tons of forgings, which will be scaled to a 600-tonne
capacity in Phase-II, according to him. Meanwhile, responding to a question, Jain said that NPCIL was
working round-the-clock to commission the Kudankulam nuclear plant at the earliest possible.
NPCIL had achieved 40 per cent growth in energy generation this year to 32,000 million units (mu) as
compared to 26,000 mu last year, while revenues from the sale of power had gone up to Rs 8,000 crore
from Rs. 5,000 crore last year, he said. Availability of uranium, the fuel used for nuclear energy
generation, will be up by 25 per cent with the mining operations recently launched at Tummalapalle
uranium mines in Andhra Pradesh, according to him.
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GM to utilize Indian diesel facility globally
Driven by the robust demand for diesel vehicles in the Indian market, the US-based auto major, General
Motors, is working on developing diesel engines for the range of vehicles lined up for launch in the
country. The capability for which will then find its way to other diesel-intensive markets globally.
The company, which has already introduced a diesel version of small car Beat in mid-2011, is looking at
introducing diesel variants of premium hatchback Sail and the new multi-purpose vehicle later in the
year. The diesel engine technology for these vehicles has been developed by the car maker in India, and
will later be made available to markets in North and South Africa to begin with.
Lowell Paddock, president and managing director, General Motors India, said, “The diesel development
carried out on our future Sail and MPV programmes will certainly support entry into markets outside
India where consumers have a strong preference for diesel engines.” Though no destinations have been
finalized for exporting diesel technology from India, company executives indicated that markets in North
and South Africa would be considered initially. While the company does not have any plans to