The US Department of Energy (DoE) has given Holtec International a regulatory license to design and build nuclear reactors in India. This is a huge step forward in the nearly two-decade-old nuclear pact between India and the United States.
According to reports, the DoE approved Holtec on March 26, allowing nuclear cooperation between the two countries. The license authorises Holtec to exchange ‘unclassified small modular reactor (SMR) technology’ with three Indian firms—Holtec Asia, Larsen & Toubro Ltd, and Tata Consulting Engineers Ltd—under US rule ’10CFR810′. The authorisation is valid for ten years and is evaluated every five years.
However, Holtec is prohibited from exporting technology to Indian government firms such as NPCIL, AERB, and NTPC Ltd since India has not supplied the necessary non-proliferation assurances. Holtec may subsequently seek to incorporate them. The US has stipulated that the technology cannot be shared without its approval and must only be used for peaceful reasons. Holtec must also provide quarterly updates on technological transfers.
Holtec was founded by Indian American Krishna P. Singh and has operations in Gujarat and Pune. If full-scale manufacturing commences, the business intends to increase its staff, a significant step towards cementing the India-US nuclear collaboration.
