New Delhi: Mumbai-based CORE Energy Systems has partnered with Texas-based multi-national company, Flowserve Corporation, to manufacture primary coolant pumps in India.
The agreement to make this civil nuclear equipment in India was signed in the presence of the Indian Embassy and US Energy Department officials in Washington, DC—a CORE statement said Tuesday.
The announcement comes at a time when the US—citing New Delhi’s long-standing defence partnership with Moscow and its continued purchases of Russian oil—has imposed a 50 percent tariff on India, leading to tensions between the two nations.
The CORE statement said, “The US Department of Energy has granted Flowserve specific authorisation under 10 CFR Part 810 to transfer PCP technology to India.”
Part 810 of the US Code of Federal Regulations, or the American law on nuclear technology transfer to foreign countries, requires a case-by-case approval to ensure the receiving countries use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes only. India falls under this “specific authorisation” category, making this the first clearance of its kind granted to an Indian collaboration at this scale.
India’s Department of Atomic Energy okayed the partnership earlier in November 2024, assuring Washington, DC, that it would use the transferred technology to make primary coolant pumps exclusively for civilian purposes, the statement added.
Primary coolant pumps, or PCPs, are critical components of nuclear reactors, maintaining continuous coolant flow to remove heat from the reactor core.
“Localising the production will build domestic capability, supply-chain resilience and vendor ecosystems, reinforcing India’s nuclear programme in line with Atmanirbhar Bharat,” the company said.
During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US in February, he and American President Donald Trump reiterated their commitment to the US-India Civil Nuclear Agreement, also known as the 123 Agreement—the civil nuclear trade and cooperation that the two nations had agreed upon.
The agreement allows India to access US civil nuclear technology, while ensuring all materials are used exclusively for peaceful purposes.
The joint statement the two countries issued after signing the deal underlined plans to build US-designed nuclear reactors in India, supported by large-scale localisation and potential technology transfers. Subsequently, the partnership became a tangible step towards realising this vision.
“Supporting India’s nuclear ambitions and ‘Make in India’ vision, India currently operates 25 nuclear reactors, generating 8,880MW, with eight new units (6.6GW) under construction, and an ambitious target of 100 GW of nuclear capacity by 2047—central to the national vision of Viksit Bharat and Net Zero,” the CORE statement said.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)