British power systems company Rolls Royce said Wednesday it would work with Indian firm Kirloskar Oil Engines (KOEL) to build and commission emergency gensets – generating sets – for India's nuclear power industry.
The companies have signed an exclusive cooperation letter of intent, a press release said. The intention is for Rolls Royce to provide MTU engines and other critical components, while KOEL will assemble and test the gensets in India.
"Working together with KOEL, we see good chances of gaining entry into the emergency genset market for nuclear power stations in India," said Rolls-Royce Power Systems Chief Sales Officer Michael Haidinger in a statement.
As a main contractor to Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) KOEL has delivered 20 emergency gensets to Indian nuclear plants. There are seven nuclear facilities in India with an aggregate of 21 reactors currently on line.
Overall, KOEL has delivered more than 2,000 gensets that meet India's new emission guidelines.
The company is also a supplier for diesel engines and agricultural pumps, but 50 percent of its revenue comes from power gensets, Business Standard reported.
Rolls Royce said it expects India to focus on nuclear power in the coming decades with the industry expected to supply a quarter of India's electricity demand by 2050.