Indian company to localise pump manufacture after landmark agreement

Primary Coolant Pumps (PCPs) are among the most technologically intensive and critical components of a nuclear power plant, enabling a continuous coolant supply to remove heat from the reactor core.

The US Department of Energy (DOE) granted Flowserve specific authorisation under 10 CFR Part 810 to transfer its advanced PCP technology to India, CORE Energy said. India’s Department of Atomic Energy last year authorised CORE to collaborate with Flowserve, with assurances that the transferred technology would be utilised exclusively for peaceful civil nuclear activities as required by the US Government. This "marks the very first US authorisation for an Indian collaboration of this nature and scope, catalysing sovereign local manufacturing of this mission-critical nuclear reactor equipment", CORE Energy said.

India currently operates 25 nuclear reactors, with eight new units under construction, and a target of 100 GW of nuclear capacity by 2047 is central to its national vision of Viksit Bharat and net-zero goals. The localisation of PCP manufacturing is a "decisive step to build a resilient domestic supply chain, unlocking new capacity, supporting private participation, and reinforcing energy self-sufficiency under the 'Make in India' and 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiatives", the company added.

Flowserve Vice President and General Manager for Engineered Pumps Ihab Botros, said the company is "excited" to receive official DOE approval to manufacture safety-critical pumps for India's reactors at its facility at Coimbatore in India. "This achievement, made possible through our collaboration with CORE, marks a significant step forward in India’s nuclear growth and the global clean energy transition. With more than 5,000 pumps operating in 200+ reactors worldwide, Flowserve brings proven global expertise to support India’s growing nuclear ambitions, and we see India as an important part of the industry’s future," he said.

"For over two decades, CORE has driven India’s strategic engineering journey, CORE Energy Systems Chairman and Managing Director Nagesh Basarkar said. "This collaboration to indigenously manufacture PCPs not only delivers world-class technology to our nuclear sector but also strengthens national supply-chain resilience."

The definitive agreement between Flowserve and CORE Energy was formalised in Washington, DC on 14 August.