US nuclear trade delegation to visit India in late November

THE civilian nuclear cooperation agreement might have hit a road block in the Senate, at it appears as of now, but the US nuke industry seems to be determined to have its firm foot prints in India.

As such, as many as 21 major US nuclear companies are heading for India this winter to make headway with the public and private sector, get acquaintance with the government and explore business possibilities in India’s civil nuclear sector. All these (companies) are major US nuclear players, who excel in civilian use of nuclear energy and have interest in the India’s nuclear industry, Ron Somers, president US India Business Council told The Indian Express.

Called Nuclear Mission, the 21-member delegation would be led by USIBC and is part of the trade delegation being led by Frank Lavin, the US Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade.

The mission is unique. This is for the first time that a US nuclear trade delegation is visiting India looking for commercial opportunities. The Business Development Mission led by Levin, is the largest ever US trade delegation to visit India. They would be visiting India from November 29 to December 5.

We will be meeting with (officials of) Nuclear Power Corporation, Nuclear Regulatory Commission of India, private sector players and government officials in Delhi, Somers, said.

Some of the major companies, who would be sending their top corporative executives to India, include Bechtel Power Corporation, WM Mining Company, Edlow International Company, ConverDyn, AREVA, Westinghouse Electric Company, General Electric Company, USEC, Harmon, Wilmot and Brown LLP, BWX Technologies, Stonebridge International, Stone and Webster Inc, Thorium Power Company, Nuclear Business Group and Nuclear Energy Institute.

While the last few are representatives bodies of US nuclear companies, rest of the names are well known for their expertise in supply of nuclear fuel, nuclear power generators, its maintenance and related industries.

We would be looking for potential business opportunities, Steve Kerekes, spokesman of the Nuclear Energy Institute, told The Indian Express. Based in Washington, NEI is policy organization of the owners and operators of the nuclear power plants in the US. About a dozen of the NEI member companies would be part of this Nuclear Mission to India, he said. Some of these companies include suppliers, reactor vendors and architectural engineering firms, he added.

Recent business studies have revealed that opening of India’s nuclear sector for private players internationally in the aftermath of Indo- US nuke agreement opens a multi-billion dollar business opportunity for the global players.