First lot of of 250 tonnes of Canadian uranium is on its on way to India

[mkb95]

NEW DELHI: India will gets its first consignment of Canadian uranium by next month, in a move that will help in securing fuel for nuclear power reactors in the country.

"The first lot of of 250 tonnes of Canadian uranium is already on its on way and should land by the first week of December. Since it is imported fuel it will be used in the safeguarded reactors," a senior government official said.

The deal, worth CAD 350 million with Canada's largest uranium producing company Cameco Corp, will ensure 3,220 metric tonnes of uranium over the next five years.

Signed in April this year when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the North American country, the development also assumes importance as Modi during his visit had given emphasis on the nuclear energy aspect.

The Indo-Canada civil nuclear cooperation was signed in 2010. Incidentally, Canada had banned exports of uranium and nuclear hardware to India in the 1970s after New Delhi developed a nuclear bomb.

India has 21 operational nuclear reactors and six under construction. India this year registered a record production of 1,252 MT of uranium, manufacturing close to double the annual fuel requirement of atomic reactors in the country. The production has far exceeded the country's annual fuel requirement of 650 MT for the Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs), which means the country has surplus nuclear fuel that will last several months.

Every 700 MW of reactor needs 125 MT of uranium every year. However, with the rising number of power reactors in the country, the demand is expected to rise. In the near future, two nuclear reactors of 700 MW each in Rajasthan Atomic Power Station and Kakrapar Atomic Power Station are coming up.

Apart from Canada, India currently procures uranium from Kazakhstan and Russia for its domestic reactors. Fuel for its two foreign reactors at Kudankulam is being taken care of by Russia. It also buys enriched uranium for its two Boiling Water Reactors at Tarapur from Russia. Plus, it is in process of procuring the nuke fuel from Australia.

Four atomic reactors of 700 MW each are also coming up at the Gorakhpur Haryana Anu Vidyut Pariyojana. Fuel for Kudankulam plant in Tamil Nadu and Jaitapur in Maharashtra, coming up in collaboration with Russia and France respectively, will be made available by the foreign players.

 

[illusion8]

So this is the first ever consignment from the western suppliers..If I am not mistaken. India itself produces more than 1000 Mt of uranium on its own for the past few decades..which does not need to be under any safeguard.

 

[kaykay]

Great

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Is this raw uranium or CANDU rods?

CANDU technology - Canadian Nuclear Association

 

[wadi79]

Good to see that responsible behaviour is being acknowledged. I am happy that my country did not take the easy way out of selling nuclear weapons and technology to rogue regimes in return for cash or other stuff. It may have hurt in the short term, but clearly, it was a good policy - as is now being acknowledged by the world.

Incidentally, fuel is all that India needs - India's own 700 megawatt reactors are being built at a cost of Rs 14 crore/megawatt - versus a cost of Rs 20 crore/megawatt for the Russian design at Kudankulam (Units 3&4) and Rs 40 crore/megawatt for the US/French designs of Westinghouse, GE-Hitachi and Areva. The electricity that comes out of these different designs is no different - indigenous designs will help India develop its own know-how and manufacturing.

 

[Super Commando Dhruva]

I wish Pakistan a HAPPY "LIGHT AA Gayee"