India to get first lot of Canadian uranium next month

[Kashmiri Pandit]

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 se ..

Read more at:
India to get first lot of Canadian uranium next month - The Economic Times

 

[egodoc222]

Wow! So we have to produce enriched uranium ourselves??

 

[Nilgiri]

Wow! So we have to produce enriched uranium ourselves??

PHWRs use natural uranium as fuel.

Only now are enriched fuels being looked at for future gen PHWRs

Use of enriched uranium in PHWRs proposed - The Hindu

 

[egodoc222]

PHWRs use natural uranium as fuel.

But what we are importing is uranium ore...right?

 

[Nilgiri]

But what we are importing is uranium ore...right?

Thats basically natural uranium....i.e mostly Uranium 238 and a small fraction of U 235 (about 0.7%). It just needs to be fabricated into pellets and its ready to go into the PHWR.

The heavy water of a PHWR is such an excellent moderator compared to regular (light) water that natural uranium can be used for energy extraction since there is very little neutron absorption by the water (so more available flux to hit the U-235). When you dont have this sort of neutron flux available (in light water), thats when you got to make the Uranium more "enriched" to keep the "hit rate" to maintain criticality.

For PHWR +natural uranium, the burn up rate will be low, but the design is quite proven and very safe.

Higher enriched uranium fuels will give you better burnup but you also have to accommodate for the higher heat loads and safety requirements.

 

[Indika]

Good, Now it will free up our uranium for other purpose. Wonder what is going inside the tactical (nuke?) thinkers mind on other side of the border ?

 

[Nilgiri]

Wonder what is going inside the tactical (nuke?) thinkers mind on other side of the border ?

What you talking about?

India's may only start tactical weapons if it has an excess of U-233 after FBTR program kicks in. We are not going to divert precious Pu 239 or U-235 thats for sure.

 

[Indika]

What you talking about?

India's may only start tactical weapons if it has an excess of U-233 after FBTR program kicks in. We are not going to divert precious Pu 239 or U-235 thats for sure.

Nah I was talking about reactions from other side.

 

[Nilgiri]

Nah I was talking about reactions from other side.

Does it really matter? Its going to be the usual cocktail of equal parts anger and envy....shaken AND stirred, garnished with whining about "western hypocrisy".