Mumbai: In a major development, India and the UAE have inked a pact that provides a framework for giving services for the operation and maintenance of nuclear plants in the emirate. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Bhuwan Chandra Pathak, Chairman and Managing Director of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), and Mohamed Al Hammadi, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) of the UAE.
The MoU was inked during the ongoing visit of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to India. Al Nahyan held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. "The MoU provides a general framework for the possible collaboration between the NPCIL & ENEC in the relevant fields, which inter alia include developing supply chains, sharing experience and providing services for Operation & Maintenance of Nuclear Energy Plants, providing nuclear consulting services, human resources development & training, research and development etc," a statement by the NPCIL said.
NPCIL-ENEC collaboration
The NPCIL is a Public Sector Enterprise of the Department of Atomic Energy and operates all civil nuclear power plants in the country. The ENEC is wholly owned by the Abu Dhabi Development Holding Company PJSC, which in turn is wholly owned by the government of the UAE. "The signing of this MoU marks a significant step in the growing cooperation between India and the UAE in peaceful uses of nuclear energy," the NPCIL statement said on Tuesday.
India-UAE sign MoU on nuclear power
Earlier on Monday, India and the United Arab Emirates inked four major pacts that will facilitate crude oil storage, long-term supply of LNG and cooperation in the civil nuclear energy sector as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held wide-ranging talks with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince focusing on boosting overall strategic ties.
In their discussions, the two leaders underscored the need to explore new areas of untapped potential, particularly in nuclear energy, critical minerals, green hydrogen, artificial intelligence and cutting-edge technologies, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
An agreement for the long-term supply of one million metric tonnes of LNG (liquefied natural gas) per annum to the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and another between ADNOC and India Strategic Petroleum Reserve Ltd (ISPRL) is among the four pacts, the MEA said.
Emirates Nuclear Energy Company (ENEC) and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) also inked a pact that is expected to enhance cooperation in the operation and maintenance of nuclear power plants, the sourcing of nuclear goods and services from India.
It will also provide a framework for exploring mutual investment opportunities and capacity building in the civil nuclear domain.
The fourth pact is the production concession agreement for Abu Dhabi onshore block-one between Urja Bharat and ADNOC. A separate pact was inked between the Gujarat government and the Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company PJSC on setting up food parks in India.
LNG supply
The agreement for the long-term supply of LNG for 1 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA) is the third such contract signed in just over a year. Both IOCL and GAIL had previously signed long-term agreements for 1.2 MMTPA and 0.5 MMTPA, respectively, with ADNOC.
The MoU between ADNOC and ISPRL provides for exploring ADNOC's participation in additional opportunities for crude storage in India and the renewal of their storage and management agreement on mutually acceptable terms and conditions, the MEA said.
It said this MoU builds on ADNOC's existing involvement in crude storage at the Mangalore Cavern of ISPRL since 2018. The production concession agreement for Abu Dhabi Onshore Block one between Urja Bharat (a JV of IOCL and Bharat PetroResources Ltd) and ADNOC is the first for any Indian company operating in the UAE. The concession entitles Urja Bharat to bring crude oil to India, thus contributing towards the country's energy security, the MEA said.
The MoU on food parks conveys ADQ's expression of interest in developing Gundanpara in Bavla in Ahmedabad as a highly promising site for this ambitious project, with a view to commencing the project in the second quarter of 2025.
(With inputs from agency)
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