Engineering and construction major Larsen & Toubro Ltd has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Westinghouse Electric Company of the US for building nuclear power reactors in India.

L&T will undertake the fabrication and construction of nuclear plants of up to 1,000 mega Watt capacity in India as per design provided by Westinghouse.

Westinghouse will also provide engineering and procurement of major components, the company said in a statement.

The companies plan to build Westinghouse's AP1000 pressurised-water reactors, Westinghouse said in a statement. The details of the venture are being worked out, Larsen's senior sxecutive vice president MV Kotwal said at a media briefing.

The agreement will allow the companies to utilise indigenous capabilities for the construction of nuclear power plants, including supply of reactor equipment and systems, L&T said in the statement.

Westinghouse, a group company of Japan's Toshiba Corporation, is a major supplier of nuclear power plants the world over. Nearly 40 per cent of nuclear power plants operating across the world use Westinghouse technology, L&T noted in the statement.

A Toshiba Corporation group company, the US firm supplies nuclear plant products and technologies to utilities across the world.

The pact between the two firms has been facilitated by the Indo-US civil nuclear co-operation agreement and the waiver of non-proliferation treaty by the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group which cleared the Indo-US deal and other such deals India signed with Russia and France.

India, which plans to add 60,000 MW of nuclear power generating capacity by 2030, has opened up a huge opportunity for power equipment maker – both domestic and foreign.