Commodity Online
NEW DELHI : India has inked contracts with France and Russia for import of uranium concentrate and fuel from the two countries.
In a written statement tabled in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Science and Technology Prithviraj Chavan said “India has signed inter-government agreements with France, U.S. and Russia”.

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These imports will be enough to meet India's uranium requirements for reactors under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards in 2009-10.

“NPCIL (Nuclear Power Corp of India) has signed a memorandum of undertaking with NAC Kazatomprom of Kazakhstan for civil nuclear co-operation,” Chavan said, adding, India will meet its uranium requirements from diverse sources.

Areva of France has supplied 300 tonnes of natural uranium ore concentrate, while Russia's JSC TVEL Corp has supplied 60 tonnes of natural uranium dioxide fuel pellets, the statement said.

The Russian company was also expected to supply another 60 tonnes of natural uranium dioxide fuel pellets and 58 tonnes of enriched uranium dioxide fuel pellets in 2009-10, it said.

In another statement that was tabled in Lok Sabha, Chavan reiterated government was fully committed to India's three-stage nuclear power program.

The program consists of pressurised heavy water reactors in the first stage, fast breeder reactors in the second stage and thorium reactors in the third.

The country's domestic nuclear power program based on domestic resources and national technical capabilities will continue to grow, Chavan said in the statement.

At the same, India regards international civil nuclear cooperation to supplement domestic efforts in the nuclear power field, Chavan said.

He said India's nuclear power generation totaled 14,927 million units in 2008-09, accounting for about 2% of the country's total power generation.

“The lower nuclear share in India was on account of a low generating capacity base of 4,120 megawatts,” Chavan said, adding, the capacity will rise to 7,280 megawatts by calendar 2011.
“More projects, based both on indigenous reactors and international cooperation are planned to increase the nuclear power capacity,” Chavan said.

India ended nuclear isolation in 2008 after India inked deal with IEA and Nuclear Suppliers Group and the U.S. over civil nuclear cooperation by subjecting its 14 civil nuclear reactors to international monitoring.

Global nuclear majors had imposed ban on transfer of nuclear technology and fuel to India in 1974 after India tested a nuclear device.

The ban was further tightened after India again tested nuclear devices in 1998. It has so far not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh looks at nuclear power as an avenue to build the country's energy security.

India is energy deficient, as it imports roughly 128 million tones of Crude Oil to supplement domestic crude output of nearly 34 million tones. That level of imports roughly accounts for 35% of India's total yearly import bill.

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