Antinuclear

India’s Nuclear Liability law throws a spanner in nuclear industry’s works

[India]  recently bowled the global nuclear power industry – and possibly itself – an unexpected googly by adopting a civil nuclear liability law that will hold suppliers liable for any accident for up to 80 years after a plant’s construction….Many countries with nuclear power industries channel potential liability in case of an accident to operators. India’s very different law has sent nuclear companies into a spin.

Nuclear industry: Government bowls sector a surprise googly, FT.com, By Amy Kazmin in New Delhi January 26 2011 “………International suppliers – including GE, Westinghouse, Bechtel, Russia’s Rosatom, France’s Areva, and Japan’s Toshiba, Hitachi and Mitsubishi – are all eyeing lucrative opportunities [in India] ….

But the country recently bowled the global nuclear power industry – and possibly itself – an unexpected googly by adopting a civil nuclear liability law that will hold suppliers liable for any accident for up to 80 years after a plant’s construction.

Many countries with nuclear power industries channel potential liability in case of an accident to operators. India’s very different law has sent nuclear companies into a spin.

They and their Indian partners warn that the rules will be a serious deterrent to sales of equipment and technology to the state-owned Nuclear Power Corporation, the only entity allowed to operate nuclear power plants in the country….

FT.com / Reports – Nuclear industry: Government bowls sector a surprise googly

January 27, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized