With a remit to provide electricity to seven crore households, Jaitapur will benefit Maharashtra with thousands of jobs, says French diplomat

After 11 years of being on the drawing board, there is some progress in the Jaitapur nuclear power project in Maharashtra with the French company EDF and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) working together to take this project off the ground said Jean-Marc Séré-Charlet, Consul General of France in Bombay. Edited excerpts:

Is the Jaitapur nuclear power project in Maharashtra on? What is the current status?

EDF, the French company, submitted to NPCIL its binding offer this April and it was the result of intense work between the two countries. EDF and NPCIL teams are working actively together. This project is a key component of the strategic partnership between India and France as stated by President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on several occasions.

Jaitapur would be the world’s most powerful nuclear power plant. There would be six state-of-the-art EPR reactors with an installed capacity of 9.6 GWe that will produce low carbon electricity.

It would provide electricity to seven crore households. That’s huge. It’s a complex project. Both countries are dedicated to reach an agreement. This project will embody the strong partnership between India and France, a commitment to low carbon future, and will directly benefit Maharashtra with thousands of local jobs.

What kind of investment is coming in? When do you think it will be up and running?

Cannot answer the ‘when’ right now. It is an ongoing discussion. As far as investments are concerned, I can definitely say [they are] in line with Make in India and Skill India initiatives.