The 540 MW nuclear power plant at Tarapore

A large 250-member delegation of us business executives landed in Mumbai in the last week of November. Apart from the unusually large size of the delegation, what was interesting was its composition-it included representatives of about a dozen companies that are present in the nuclear sector-like GE Energy, Thorium Power, BMX Technologies (BMXT) and ConverDyn. The high-level us delegation met the domestic industry to sniff at potential opportunities in the nuclear power generation business that, on a conservative scale, will be worth more than $9 billion (Rs 40,500 crore) over the next five years. "We are excited about the opportunities as they unfold," says Ron Somers, President, Indo-US Chamber of Commerce, who was here to herd the 25-strong nuclear industry team from the us. Somers is not new to India or the power business-he headed the controversial 1,000 mw Cogentrix fast track power project close to a decade ago.

The visit was timely; the US legislature is in the process of approving legal amendments that will lift the three-decade long ban on sale of civilian nuclear equipment and fuel to India. As India returns from nuclear exile, are there others who will embrace it? How will the nuclear power business play out? What do the global players have to say and how is the domestic industry shaping up?

Interestingly, nuclear power industry in the US has not added a single megawatt of power capacity over the last quarter century on its home soil. "We have done most of our business out of Japan but have ensured that we maintain our technological edge over the last decade," says Andrew White, CEO of GE Energy's nuclear business. For others, like the $4-billion (Rs 18,000-crore) BMX Technologies, participation in classified us nuclear programmes gives it the edge. "Participation in military programmes has enabled us to hone our technical skills," says Craig Hansen, Vice President (Washington Operations), BMXT.

"Indian industry has substantive resource capability in the specialty steel manufacturing" Craig Hansen VP (Washington Operations), BMXT	"The early rollout of regulations is key to private sector participation" Rajendra Srivastava General Delegate, EDF	"We are excited about the opportunities as they unfold" Ron Somers President, Indo-US Chamber of Commerce

Invitation to the Club

It has been a bootlegger's existence since 1975, when India first exploded a nuclear bomb and refused to surrender its new found power. For, in the same year, a Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG) was formed in London (hence, the name, London Club) that shut the doors on India. Consequently, the fuel tap for the power plants (3,900 mw costing around Rs 35,000 crore) went dry and the country was left to the goodwill of nations like China and Russia that had not then signed the treaty to keep these plants running.

Now, the US is lifting the apartheid and plans to allow its industry to sell civilian nuclear wares to India as a first step. And, as a second step, it will lobby with the 45-member London Club to allow laissez faire.

Now, the US industry is here in India to net the first mover advantage. "We have met several companies, including power developers like National Thermal Power Corporation. We are looking for strong partners with credible track records," says Ganpat Mani, Senior Vice President, ConverDyn, which recycles spent fuel.

While US interest is on the rise, the pace of business deals will be determined by another legislative move-one that allows private ownership of nuclear plants in India. According to industry officials, the entire process could take up to a year-and-a-half. Consequently, domestic companies like Tata Power and Reliance Energy are only exploring opportunities at this point in time. Says GMR Senior Vice President Avinash Shah: "We are talking to the global industry and exploring the possibilities of setting up nuclear plants in the country."

Project developers are obviously upbeat about the opportunities, but so are equipment makers like Larsen & Toubro (L&T). This is endorsed by several us majors. Says Hansen, whose company has already done business in the country with Thermax: "The Indian industry has substantive resource capabilities, especially in the specialty steel manufacturing business." Adds Timothy L. Richards, Director, International Energy Policy, GE Energy: "This visit has allowed us tech companies to engage with prospective business partners and customers here in India."

Nuke the Winner

The increasing popularity of nuclear power globally can be partially attributed to the rising costs of alternate fuels. Gas and coal prices have hardened like never before and equipment costs have not eased. But unlike other power generation fuels that hardly undergo any treatment before use, nuclear fuel has to go through several stages of processing. Little wonder then that the cost of raw material is a mere 10 per cent of the total fuel cost. As much as 60 per cent of fuel cost goes towards enriching the fuel and another 30 per cent is spent on fuel fabrication (milled from uranium ore and rolled into pellets and rods that find their way to the reactor). More importantly, fuel cost is a mere 15 per cent of total tariff, even at the prevailing rates of $62 (Rs 2,790) per pound (See Bang for your Buck). This is a major asset in times of oil and gas price volatility.

But India has not been able to take advantage of this due to the nuclear apartheid that it has been subjected to over the last three decades. Result: the country's nuclear energy capacity is 3,900 mw, a minuscule 3 per cent of its installed power generation capacity. The government plans to add another 6,000 mw capacity over the next 10 years. There is, however, the possibility that capacity additions by the private sector will result in this figure being overshot. Says V. Raghuraman, Principal Advisor, CII: "The government needs to quickly amend the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, to hasten the pace of private participation in the sector." Agrees Rajendra Srivastava, General Delegate, EDF: "The early rollout of regulations is key to private sector participation."

"We are exploring the possibilties of setting up nuclear plants in the country" Avinash Shah Senior Vice President, GMR

Safety versus Economics

The scars of a nuclear accident leave a deep imprint on society. A few years after India was barred from accessing nuclear material, The Three Mile Island (a nuclear power plant) accident in 1978 brought an end to the capacity addition programme in the US.

The re-emergence of nuclear power as an acceptable energy source has as much to do with the redressal of safety issues as with the cost of abating carbon emissions. In a deposition before the us Senate in September this year, Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, Dennis Spurgeon said: "Nuclear technology is the only one currently available that is capable of delivering large amounts of power without producing emissions. US nuclear power plants displace millions of tonnes of carbon emissions each year."

But the development of a vibrant nuclear energy industry depends critically on not only addressing the safety issues but also on clearly defining who picks up the tab in case of an accident. "No private company will buy the entire accident insurance for a nuclear plant. A sovereign cover is essential depending on the plant capacity," says Omer Brown II, Attorney, Harmon, Wilmot and Brown, LLP, a firm representing several nuclear operators in the us. "The global practice is that the country concerned provides an insurance cover of up to $450 million (Rs 2,025 crore)." Will India blink on this count? That remains to be seen, but it will add to power costs. Interestingly, China offers an insurance of less than $50 million (Rs 225 crore), industry officials point out.

The opportunity, clearly, is huge. The global nuclear scenario, from India's perspective, is better than it was anytime in the past. And private players, both Indian and foreign, seem eager to move in. It's now up to the government to deliver sensible regulations to unlock this potential.

-additional reporting by Aman Malik