The company, which has deep roots in the nuclear sector, is also looking to establish cooling towers for these plants through its subsidiary, John Cockerill Hamon.
Read this | India’s nuclear energy ambitions: Aiming for 100 GW by 2047
“We have a strong presence in nuclear,” Michel said. “Historically, in Belgium, we built the core of nuclear reactors…assembled in our facilities. We are also one of the large critical suppliers of EDF in France for large reactors, so we have a big business of maintenance services for nuclear reactors…we retain core expertise to maintain them, and also for critical parts of the nuclear cycle, in particular, cooling.”
Michel said the company intends to leverage this expertise in India. “We’ve been in nuclear services since the inception of nuclear development in Western Europe. And of course, we intend to offer some of our know-how in India as well.”
John Cockerill specializes in replacing and upgrading key nuclear components to enhance safety and extend plant lifespans. It provides machining, on-site repairs, engineering, and multi-year contracts for reactors ranging from 900 MW to 1,450 MW, according to the company’s website.
Some of the major players in this space include Larsen & Toubro, Mitsubishi Heavy Industry, Westinghouse Electric Company, and BHEL. John Cockerill, with its expertise in nuclear maintenance and cooling systems, sees an opportunity to carve out a niche in this growing market
India’s nuclear expansion is a key part of its energy transition strategy. The government aims to increase nuclear power capacity from 8.1 GW to 22.4 GW by 2031.
The FY26 Union Budget unveiled a Nuclear Energy Mission, targeting at least 100 GW of nuclear capacity by 2047. Legislative amendments, including changes to the Atomic Energy Act and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, are being considered to facilitate private sector participation.
When asked if John Cockerill would enter the Indian market through a joint venture, Michel said discussions are ongoing. “It’s too early to say. We are considering. We are working on that.”
Beyond nuclear, Michel sees India’s cooling infrastructure as a growing market. In 2022, John Cockerill acquired Hamon, a Belgian cooling tower specialist with an established presence in India. He said the company now plans to scale up Hamon’s footprint in India’s cooling sector, particularly for nuclear power plants
The company has also been expanding its footprint in India’s defence sector. Through a joint venture with Electro Pneumatics & Hydraulics Pvt Ltd, it is set to manufacture turrets for the Indian Army’s Light Tank programme, with plans to expand production based on demand.
John Cockerill is also investing in India’s green hydrogen sector through a joint venture with Greenko. The two companies are developing a 2 GW electrolyzer manufacturing plant in Kakinada, with production expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026.
“Next year, we will have an electrolyzer assembly line operational,” Michel said.
Vivek Bhide, regional president of John Cockerill India, noted the company is working to accelerate the project’s timeline. “We’ve already been selected under the SIGHT scheme for electrolyzer production, and a condition of that is, we need to start assembling the electrolysis next year, and so the first gigawatt capacity assembly line will be established in Kakinada. So that we meet the timeline, we have an internal target, which is much more aggressive.”
Despite concerns over high costs slowing demand, Michel remains optimistic about the long-term potential of green hydrogen.
Read this | Non-stop renewable energy key to lowering green hydrogen prices: Gentari CEO
Though still nascent, India’s green hydrogen market is projected to reach $8 billion by 2030 and $340 billion by 2050, driven by demand from refineries, steel and fertilizer manufacturers, and power producers, as well as growing export interest from Europe and East Asia.
Government think tank NITI Aayog estimates that India’s electrolyzer market alone could be worth $5 billion by 2030 and $31 billion by 2050, underscoring the scale of the opportunity.