Monday, December 6, 2010

Goa Blog

Goa Blog

Areva signs deals to supply two EPR reactors plus fuel to India

Posted: 06 Dec 2010 03:42 AM PST

French nuclear vendor Areva and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd., signed agreements Monday in New Delhi for the construction of two European pressurized water Reactor units) at Jaitapur in India’s Maharashtra state, and for the supply of nuclear fuel for 25 years, Areva said in a statement.

The agreements were signed by Npcil Chairman and Managing Director S.K. Jain, and Areva CEO Anne Lauvergeon. The signatures came during the state visit of French President Nicolas Sarkozy to India and were witnessed by Sarkozy, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Srikumar Banerjee, chairman of India’s Atomic Energy Commission.

Areva said the agreements set contractual conditions, the industrial scheme for the project, and the breakdown of roles and responsibilities.

Areva will supply the two nuclear islands and associated services, the company said.

The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding on the supply of two EPRs with an option for four more in February 2009. Monday’s agreements mark the next step towards a commercial contract.

The Indian government last year designated the site between Mumbai and Goa for the eventual construction of six 1.65-GW-class EPR units. Last week, an Areva spokeswoman said that Areva and Npcil would not be signing a final contract during the Sarkozy visit for the EPR supply, because they had not yet agreed on commercial conditions. Npcil is also talking with Westinghouse and General Electric Hitachi for supply of their reactors at two other designated sites. A fourth foreign vendor, Russia’s Atomstroyexport, has already supplied two 1,000-MW-class nuclear units that are scheduled for commissioning in March and December 2011, respectively, about three to 3.5 years behind the original schedule.

The agreements signed Monday in New Delhi also “allow to accelerate several partnerships between Areva and the Indian nuclear industry,” Areva said. Areva has said in the past that it will partner with India’s nuclear industry for construction of the Indian EPRs as well as for export business.

India’s installed nuclear power capacity now totals 4.780 GW. Npcil, on its web site, says its “vision is to reach 20,000 MW or more by the year 2020 and play a major role in reaching [the] country’s installed nuclear power capacity of 63,000 MW by 2032″ through a combination of indigenous pressurized heavy water reactors, fast reactors and imported light water reactors.

In its statement, Areva said that studies will begin early next year to enable site excavation, safety licensing, and the detailed technical configuration of the Jaitapur EPR design.

The Jaitapur site received environmental clearance for the EPR construction on November 28. Indian media and AFP Monday reported that 10 people were arrested Saturday during demonstrations at Jaitapur against the nuclear project, which is opposed by some local residents and fishermen who fear the nuclear plant will negatively affect their livelihood.

Courtesy:P

Non Goan Stabbes the another Non Goan for Rs.10

Posted: 06 Dec 2010 01:05 AM PST

30-year-old man was stabbed in the neck while he was asleep by an acquaintance for non-payment of a debt ofRs10, but survived the attack luckily. Investigations by Bicholim police revealed that Vakil Yadav was stabbed by Bechan Sahani, 32, on Saturday night. Yadav was admitted to Goa Medical College and Hospital in a critical condition and was operated upon on Sunday.

“We have arrested the accused before he could escape from Goa and have registered a case against him under Section 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC,” Bicholim PI Harish Madkaikar said. Police said Yadav had borrowed Rs 10 from Sahani on Wednesday and promised to return the money immediately. However, as Vakil failed to return the money even four days later, an upset Sahani met Yadav on Saturday at about 6pm and demanded the Rs 10 from him. “When Vakil told him that he didn’t have money to repay the debt, it upset Bechan, who then abused the victim in foul language,” sources said. They added that this led to a scuffle between the two who also traded punches, till they were separated by two persons who were in the vicinity at Amona.

Police said that Sahani then went home and planned to teach Yadav a lesson. Accordingly, at 9pm on Saturday, Sahani, taking a sharp knife from the kitchen left to meet Yadav at his residence under the Amona bridge. Seeing Yadav asleep, an angry Sahani used his knife to inflict an injury on Yadav’s neck. “The victim woke up startled and screamed in pain. Seeing Bechan with the knife, he caught hold of his hand due to which the knife fell from his hand. Seeing people gather around the victim, the accused escaped from the place and ran to his residence,” police said. Police were informed and when they arrived at the spot, witnesses narrated the entire episode to them, based on which they arrested Sahani from his residence before he could escape, police added. Yadav and Sahani are from Uttar Pradesh and are employed as loaders for trucks carrying sand at Amona for the last three years. Though they worked for different persons, they were known to each other.

Courtesy:TOI

Jail guards arrested for highway robbery in Goa

Posted: 05 Dec 2010 08:31 AM PST

Four jail guards were arrested on Panaji-Ponda highway on Saturday night while trying to rob a truck driver, police said today.

They assaulted and tried to rob the truck driver on the highway near Kundaim village, 30 kms from here, Inspector C L Patil said, adding that Police Control Room (PCR) van noticed some suspicious activity on the road and approached the truck, when the accused tried to flee.

“All the four accused tried to ride away on two motorcycles but were arrested after a long chase on the highway by the PCR van,” Patil said.

The accused identified as Ankush Naik, Vishal Naik, Keshav Gawas and Dinesh Warang were wearing black T shirts and pants possibly to be able to hide in darkness.

Patil said the truck owner told police that the accused assaulted him when he refused to give the money and a mobile.

All the accused are in the age group of 20 to 25 years and were commissioned in Jail administration services only last year.

Courtesy:ND
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)