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NPCIL seeks new bids for Gorakhpur nuclear power plant

India’s monopoly nuclear power producer is again seeking bids for a new project, this time reissuing tenders that aim to ease concern over a liability law that has so far deterred potential developers.State-run Nuclear Power Corp. of India Ltd (NPCIL) has sought bids from domestic equipment manufacturers to build a 1,400 megawatt power plant at Gorakhpur in Haryana, two tenders posted on the company’s website showed. It would be the first nuclear power project that would be subject to the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, which was passed in 2010 and exposes suppliers to claims in the event of an accident.

In its latest tender, NPCIL has adopted the definition of suppliers laid down in a 2011 addendum to the nuclear liability law, according to S.K. Mazumder, executive director for contracts and materials management at Mumbai-based NPCIL. The tender will also follow the clarifications issued last year by the foreign affairs ministry to address some of the other concerns of equipment makers, he said.“We have gone the extra mile to address the concerns of equipment suppliers,” Mazumder said in a phone interview. “We now expect good support and understanding from our suppliers. We don’t want to lose any more time to take the nuclear program forward.”NPCIL last sought bids from local equipment manufacturers for the project almost two years ago. But few component makers bid for the project then, as they felt the contract&