By PTI

New Delhi: State-run Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd is in talks with electrical equipment maker Areva T&D India, the Indian arm of French Areva Power, to form a joint venture company for manufacturing nuclear reactors.

“BHEL and Areva T&D are in talks to form a joint venture for manufacturing nuclear reactors,” Minister of State for Power Jairam Ramesh told PTI, adding that the facility would be set up in Finland.

BHEL would have 26% stake in the JV company, sources said. The JV would manufacture European Pressurized Reactors (EPR) of 1,600 MW capacity each.

Areva T&D India is a part of French electrical equipment maker Areva Power. Areva T&D has bagged a 35 million euro (approx. Rs221 crore) order from state-run Steel Authority of India Ltd to provide transmission and distribution services to its unit.

The order includes providing Bhillai Steel Plant, a flagship unit of SAIL, with a 132 KV gas insulated sub-station, besides offering protection, control and monitoring system for the existing ones. The project is scheduled to complete by October 2010.