Tender set to be launched for Mahi Banswara plant

"Estimated at over INR28,000 crore (USD2.9 billion), this is the largest Nuclear Island EPC packages ever floated for India's indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) programme," Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) said in a post on X. "The comprehensive package covers engineering, manufacturing, supply, civil construction, installation, testing and commissioning assistance of critical nuclear island systems for four PHWR units of 700 MWe capacity each."

Anushakti Vidhyut Nigam Ltd (Ashvini) is a joint venture between NPCIL (51%) and National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) (49%) formed in 2024 to construct, own and operate nuclear power plants in India. The Mahi Banswara project, in the Banswara district of Rajasthan, is the first project to be implemented through the joint venture model. Excavation work for the first two Indian-designed 700 MWe PHWRs at the site began in late March this year.

The project is part of India's fleet mode initiative to build ten identical 700 MWe reactors at various locations across India under uniform design and procurement plans, an approach the Indian government says will bring in cost efficiencies and speed deployment, while consolidating operational expertise.

The other reactors that make up the ten planned units are Kaiga units 5 and 6 (in Karnataka), Gorakhpur units 3 and 4 (Haryana), and Chutka units 1 and 2 (Madhyar Pradesh). Two 700 MWe PHWR units at Kakrapar, in Gujurat, are already in commercial operation. Rajasthan units 7 and 8 are currently in the commissioning process.

India, which currently has about 7,900 MW capacity from 24 operable nuclear power plants, is planning a large expansion of its nuclear capacity. The country says that seventeen nuclear power reactors with a total of 13,100 MW capacity are either under construction (7) or under pre-project activities (10). The ambition is for India to reach a nuclear energy capacity of about 100 GW by 2047.

NPCIL said the Mahi Banswara project "marks another significant milestone in strengthening India's indigenous nuclear manufacturing ecosystem, promoting advanced engineering capabilities, and accelerating the country's clean energy transition. It also presents substantial opportunities for Indian industry to participate in one of the nation's largest nuclear infrastructure initiatives. The tender reinforces the shared commitment towards delivering reliable, low-carbon baseload electricity in support of India's long-term energy security and the national vision of achieving 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047."