India's Nuclear Agreement
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Russia, India Sign USD 700 million in Nuclear Fuel Deals
Russia signed more than $700 million in deals on Wednesday to supply India's nuclear reactors with fuel pellets, Russia's state-owned nuclear company said in a statement.
Major nuclear powers -- including Russia, European states and the United Sates -- are scrambling to sell nuclear services to India, which is trying to build new generation capacity to cope with a projected increase in demand for energy.
Atomenergoprom said its nuclear fuel unit, TVEL, and Indian nuclear officials signed the deals in Mumbai on Wednesday. "The total cost of contracts is more than $700 million," it said, adding it was the first long-term nuclear fuel contract signed with India since the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group last September lifted a ban on nuclear trade with India.
The ban was imposed after India's first nuclear test in 1974 and for its refusal to join the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Russia is building nuclear reactors at the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu and plans to build plants in other parts of the country.
Russia sees India, a Cold War ally, as an important partner whose influence will expand in Asia, though Moscow and New Delhi have bickered over delays to the delivery of Russian arms. Russia wants to double trade with India to $10 billion by 2010 to cement relations, but trade with India lags far behind Moscow's economic ties with the European Union and China.
Russia is building two 1,000 megawatt reactors at Kudankulam as part of a deal signed in 1988. Russia agreed in 2008 that it intended to build four more reactors at the site. Russian nuclear reactors cost up to $2 billion a piece but India would be expected to get a hefty discount on such a major deal, which cements Russia's nuclear cooperation.
Russia signed more than $700 million in deals on Wednesday to supply India's nuclear reactors with fuel pellets, Russia's state-owned nuclear company said in a statement.
Major nuclear powers -- including Russia, European states and the United Sates -- are scrambling to sell nuclear services to India, which is trying to build new generation capacity to cope with a projected increase in demand for energy.
Atomenergoprom said its nuclear fuel unit, TVEL, and Indian nuclear officials signed the deals in Mumbai on Wednesday. "The total cost of contracts is more than $700 million," it said, adding it was the first long-term nuclear fuel contract signed with India since the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group last September lifted a ban on nuclear trade with India.
The ban was imposed after India's first nuclear test in 1974 and for its refusal to join the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Russia is building nuclear reactors at the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu and plans to build plants in other parts of the country.
Russia sees India, a Cold War ally, as an important partner whose influence will expand in Asia, though Moscow and New Delhi have bickered over delays to the delivery of Russian arms. Russia wants to double trade with India to $10 billion by 2010 to cement relations, but trade with India lags far behind Moscow's economic ties with the European Union and China.
Russia is building two 1,000 megawatt reactors at Kudankulam as part of a deal signed in 1988. Russia agreed in 2008 that it intended to build four more reactors at the site. Russian nuclear reactors cost up to $2 billion a piece but India would be expected to get a hefty discount on such a major deal, which cements Russia's nuclear cooperation.
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U.S. firms restless over India nuclear deal delays | Markets | Reuters
By Matthias Williams
U.S. firms "restless" over India nuclear deal delays
Fri Feb 13, 2009 11:53am GMT
NEW DELHI, Feb 13 (Reuters) - U.S. firms are getting "very restless" over procedural delays in implementing a civilian nuclear deal with India when the United States is gripped by a severe economic crisis, the American ambassador to India said on Friday.
Last year's multi-billion dollar deal has got bogged down by issues such as accident liability protection for U.S. companies which have lobbied hard for a slice of India's lucrative nuclear market.
Former U.S. President George Bush signed the agreement with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the face of domestic critics who said it violated the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
The deal, which will give India access to high-end technology and nuclear fuel for its reactors, brought India out of 30 years of nuclear isolation.
But the Indian government has so far only allocated sites for the construction of nuclear installations to France and Russia.
Both those governments shield their companies from liability for an industrial accident, unlike the United States, and American companies want New Delhi to help lift the burden.
"Two other countries have already been given sites and the American industry is getting very restless about the delay because they're anxious to get going," Ambassador David Mulford said at a conference in New Delhi.
Mulford made the case for a speedy implementation of the deal saying it would not only help India meet its growing energy needs but help the United States economy create jobs at a time when it was "suffering very, very severely".
"I think it's important that India should also think about how this investment initiative could help the United States economy, which India would like to see recover because it's one of the engines of growth in the world," he said.
India signed a pact earlier in February opening up its civilian nuclear plants to U.N. inspections as a condition of the deal.
India, which relies on imported oil for some 70 percent of its energy needs, says the nuclear supply pact will help feed energy demands in its expanding economy, while helping combat global warming linked to fossil fuel emissions.
It could bring in around $27 billion in investment over the next 15 years, says the Confederation of Indian Industry, and is expected to double nuclear power's share in India's electricity grid to 5-7 percent in the next two decades. (Editing by Krittivas Mukherjee and Jerry Norton)
U.S. firms restless over India nuclear deal delays | Markets | Reuters
By Matthias Williams
U.S. firms "restless" over India nuclear deal delays
Fri Feb 13, 2009 11:53am GMT
NEW DELHI, Feb 13 (Reuters) - U.S. firms are getting "very restless" over procedural delays in implementing a civilian nuclear deal with India when the United States is gripped by a severe economic crisis, the American ambassador to India said on Friday.
Last year's multi-billion dollar deal has got bogged down by issues such as accident liability protection for U.S. companies which have lobbied hard for a slice of India's lucrative nuclear market.
Former U.S. President George Bush signed the agreement with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the face of domestic critics who said it violated the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
The deal, which will give India access to high-end technology and nuclear fuel for its reactors, brought India out of 30 years of nuclear isolation.
But the Indian government has so far only allocated sites for the construction of nuclear installations to France and Russia.
Both those governments shield their companies from liability for an industrial accident, unlike the United States, and American companies want New Delhi to help lift the burden.
"Two other countries have already been given sites and the American industry is getting very restless about the delay because they're anxious to get going," Ambassador David Mulford said at a conference in New Delhi.
Mulford made the case for a speedy implementation of the deal saying it would not only help India meet its growing energy needs but help the United States economy create jobs at a time when it was "suffering very, very severely".
"I think it's important that India should also think about how this investment initiative could help the United States economy, which India would like to see recover because it's one of the engines of growth in the world," he said.
India signed a pact earlier in February opening up its civilian nuclear plants to U.N. inspections as a condition of the deal.
India, which relies on imported oil for some 70 percent of its energy needs, says the nuclear supply pact will help feed energy demands in its expanding economy, while helping combat global warming linked to fossil fuel emissions.
It could bring in around $27 billion in investment over the next 15 years, says the Confederation of Indian Industry, and is expected to double nuclear power's share in India's electricity grid to 5-7 percent in the next two decades. (Editing by Krittivas Mukherjee and Jerry Norton)
nitesh
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No nuclear power plants for Pvt Cos till 2020- Policy-Economy-News-The Economic Times
No nuclear power plants for Pvt Cos till 2020
14 Feb 2009, 1931 hrs IST, Pradeep, ET Bureau
MUMBAI: Union minister for commerce & power Jairam Ramesh on Saturday said the private companies would not be allowed to set up nuclear power plants till 2020.
"I do not foresee a role for the private sector in the first generation of production of nuclear power of 20,000 mega watt on strategic, safety, fuel and management grounds. Expansion of nuclear energy has necessarily to be based either on Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) or on its joint venture with public entities as only such companies could take a 10 year perspective without worrying over cash flows, borrowings or meltdown," Mr Ramesh told reporters on Saturday. He was in Mumbai to attend the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding between the NPCIL and National Thermal Power Corporation.
A handful of private companies, including Reliance Power, GMR Energy, GVK Power & Infrastructure, Larsen & Toubro, were planning to set up nuclear power plants. They had put their plans on the fast track after the government announced its intention to amend the law to allow them in the nuclear power generation space. However, the minister's announcement will force the private companies to shelve their plans.
The minister said: "We should not go overboard on the role of private sector...it will come but this is not right time. Right now, the requirement is of our consolidation that will come through NPCIL and joint venture public entities," he asserted.
According to the minister, the total nuclear power generation in the country is set to reach 6,000 MW, within the next one year. The present nuclear power generation is only to the tune of 1,800 Mw, against an installed capacity of 4,120 Mw. Shortage of nuclear fuel has plagued the nuclear power sector, he said.
NPCIL and NTPC on Saturday signed an MoU to form the first public JV for nuclear power generation. NPCIL will hold a 51 % of the JV which is expected to be formalised in three months and targets to produce power of 2000 MW by 2017.
However, the details of the project such as the location and types of the plants will be finalised later. The cost of the project is estimated to be around Rs 14,000-15,000 crore, said Anil Kakodkar, chairman of Atomic Energy Commission and secretary of the department of atomic energy.
NPCIL has signed agreement with Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) ) to sell India's largely indigenous 220 MW heavy water power reactor units overseas and is likely to form a joint venture with APGenco (Andhra Pradesh Generation Company). However, the proposal is at initial stages of discussions.
No nuclear power plants for Pvt Cos till 2020
14 Feb 2009, 1931 hrs IST, Pradeep, ET Bureau
MUMBAI: Union minister for commerce & power Jairam Ramesh on Saturday said the private companies would not be allowed to set up nuclear power plants till 2020.
"I do not foresee a role for the private sector in the first generation of production of nuclear power of 20,000 mega watt on strategic, safety, fuel and management grounds. Expansion of nuclear energy has necessarily to be based either on Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) or on its joint venture with public entities as only such companies could take a 10 year perspective without worrying over cash flows, borrowings or meltdown," Mr Ramesh told reporters on Saturday. He was in Mumbai to attend the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding between the NPCIL and National Thermal Power Corporation.
A handful of private companies, including Reliance Power, GMR Energy, GVK Power & Infrastructure, Larsen & Toubro, were planning to set up nuclear power plants. They had put their plans on the fast track after the government announced its intention to amend the law to allow them in the nuclear power generation space. However, the minister's announcement will force the private companies to shelve their plans.
The minister said: "We should not go overboard on the role of private sector...it will come but this is not right time. Right now, the requirement is of our consolidation that will come through NPCIL and joint venture public entities," he asserted.
According to the minister, the total nuclear power generation in the country is set to reach 6,000 MW, within the next one year. The present nuclear power generation is only to the tune of 1,800 Mw, against an installed capacity of 4,120 Mw. Shortage of nuclear fuel has plagued the nuclear power sector, he said.
NPCIL and NTPC on Saturday signed an MoU to form the first public JV for nuclear power generation. NPCIL will hold a 51 % of the JV which is expected to be formalised in three months and targets to produce power of 2000 MW by 2017.
However, the details of the project such as the location and types of the plants will be finalised later. The cost of the project is estimated to be around Rs 14,000-15,000 crore, said Anil Kakodkar, chairman of Atomic Energy Commission and secretary of the department of atomic energy.
NPCIL has signed agreement with Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) ) to sell India's largely indigenous 220 MW heavy water power reactor units overseas and is likely to form a joint venture with APGenco (Andhra Pradesh Generation Company). However, the proposal is at initial stages of discussions.
Atomic energy could have lit 40 million homes
Neelesh Misra, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, February 21, 2009
First Published: 01:36 IST(21/2/2009)
Last Updated: 11:41 IST(21/2/2009)
There is a great irony lurking behind the highly secretive doors of India’s atomic energy establishment.
Even without the Indo-US nuclear deal, at least 40 million more homes could have been lit up for an entire year in power-starved India if the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) had mined and used the extensive uranium reserves lying untapped for years.
On Friday, the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India hammered home that point in a damning audit report that peels off the DAE’s sheen. It faulted the all-powerful department for the fuel crisis that is causing India’s nuclear reactors to run at half or less of their capacity.
This “denied the nation the full benefits of clean nuclear energy to the extent of 21,845 million units corresponding to Rs 5,986 cores,” the report said. One person uses an average of 553 units of electricity in India every year.
“This (estimation of financial losses) can only be a theoretical exercise which leads to misleading conclusions,” the DAE told the auditor in response. It accepted the facts stated by CAG but added: “Due to (the) mismatch in demand and supply of fuel for (reactors) since 2003-4, these were being operated at lower levels to conserve fuel.”
But the DAE itself is responsible for that mismatch.
On Friday, DAE chief Anil Kakodkar’s office did not respond to HT’s queries on the issue, sent through fax and e-mail.
HT first reported in June, 2008 on the country’s Great Uranium Sham: As India went knocking on the doors of the US and other countries for uranium to create energy for its economy — for which PM Manmohan Singh risked his government — a bitter truth hidden from the nation was also unravelling.
India has long been sitting on much of the uranium it needs – enough to produce 10,000 mw of electricity for the 40-year life span of its reactors. It was just not excavated.
The ore was buried under the surface — over 1 lakh tonnes across Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu – with tens of thousands of tonnes of new deposits already identified elsewhere in the country.
India’s nuclear bosses also knew since 2000 that a massive energy crisis was coming the country’s way.
But the DAE did little to mine the uranium, depriving millions of cheap electricity. Worse, the Uranium Corporation of India Ltd did not use a lot of the Uranium it had mined. And the DAE misled the Cabinet by getting new reactors approved when it knew that there was no fuel to run them, the CAG said.
Atomic energy could have lit 40 million homes- Hindustan Times
Neelesh Misra, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, February 21, 2009
First Published: 01:36 IST(21/2/2009)
Last Updated: 11:41 IST(21/2/2009)
There is a great irony lurking behind the highly secretive doors of India’s atomic energy establishment.
Even without the Indo-US nuclear deal, at least 40 million more homes could have been lit up for an entire year in power-starved India if the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) had mined and used the extensive uranium reserves lying untapped for years.
On Friday, the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India hammered home that point in a damning audit report that peels off the DAE’s sheen. It faulted the all-powerful department for the fuel crisis that is causing India’s nuclear reactors to run at half or less of their capacity.
This “denied the nation the full benefits of clean nuclear energy to the extent of 21,845 million units corresponding to Rs 5,986 cores,” the report said. One person uses an average of 553 units of electricity in India every year.
“This (estimation of financial losses) can only be a theoretical exercise which leads to misleading conclusions,” the DAE told the auditor in response. It accepted the facts stated by CAG but added: “Due to (the) mismatch in demand and supply of fuel for (reactors) since 2003-4, these were being operated at lower levels to conserve fuel.”
But the DAE itself is responsible for that mismatch.
On Friday, DAE chief Anil Kakodkar’s office did not respond to HT’s queries on the issue, sent through fax and e-mail.
HT first reported in June, 2008 on the country’s Great Uranium Sham: As India went knocking on the doors of the US and other countries for uranium to create energy for its economy — for which PM Manmohan Singh risked his government — a bitter truth hidden from the nation was also unravelling.
India has long been sitting on much of the uranium it needs – enough to produce 10,000 mw of electricity for the 40-year life span of its reactors. It was just not excavated.
The ore was buried under the surface — over 1 lakh tonnes across Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu – with tens of thousands of tonnes of new deposits already identified elsewhere in the country.
India’s nuclear bosses also knew since 2000 that a massive energy crisis was coming the country’s way.
But the DAE did little to mine the uranium, depriving millions of cheap electricity. Worse, the Uranium Corporation of India Ltd did not use a lot of the Uranium it had mined. And the DAE misled the Cabinet by getting new reactors approved when it knew that there was no fuel to run them, the CAG said.
Atomic energy could have lit 40 million homes- Hindustan Times
CAG pulls up DAE for failing to utilise uranium resources
New Delhi, Feb 21: The Department of Atomic Energy has been pulled up by the CAG for failing to exploit the country's uranium resources for running atomic power plants and denying the nation "full benefits" of nuclear energy valued at nearly Rs 6,000 crore.
The Comptroller and Auditor General lashed out at the DAE for basing the fuel needs for its 15 Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) on availability of uranium rather than actual demand for running the atomic power units at maximum capacity.
"... formal demand on nuclear fuel cycle was based more on the availability of uranium rather than on the requirement of the fuel for the PHWRs at its maximum capacity, to enable it to generate optimum nuclear power," the CAG said.
The auditor noted that though nuclear power plants operated with greater efficiency in 1999-2003 at 80 percent of installed capacity, power generation dipped significantly as the number of reactors increased leading to fuel mismatch.
Thereafter, due to constraints in fuel supplies, the average capacity factors of PHWRs as a whole were consistently brought down from 80 percent in 2002-03 to 72, 67, 64, and 50 percent respectively during 2003-08.
"This had resulted in the PHWRs operating at lower capacity and denying the nation, the full benefits of clean nuclear energy to the extent of 21,845 million units corresponding to Rs 5986 crore calculated at an average tariff of Rs 2.74 per unit," the CAG said.
The DAE also told the auditors that though nuclear reactors were being constructed fast currently, development of uranium mines had got delayed primarily due to "factors external to DAE."
The Department said that government was putting in "best efforts" to open new mines, initiatives that are facing law and order issues, and requisite clearances from the environment and forests departments.
The explanation of the DAE did not find favour with the CAG, which termed the "best efforts" as "belated" and which have not yielded the desired results.
"The DAE, as the implementing department of the government of India for the nuclear power programme, needs to effectively address these factors referred by them as being external to them," it said.
The CAG also indicted the DAE for seeking approval of four new PHWR despite having knowledge that there was an impending shortage of uranium fuel.
"DAE had not linked or ensured availability of fuel to fully address the needs of PHWR programme upto 2020. Inspite of knowledge of an impending shortage of uranium fuel, DAE went ahead and sought approval for four new PHWRs at the cost of Rs 6,354 crore," it said.
Terming this a "significant deficiency" in the planning process, the auditor said that the DAE should have addressed the issue at the time of planning for these new reactors.
DAE pulled up for denying country full benefits of nuke power
New Delhi, Feb 21: The Department of Atomic Energy has been pulled up by the CAG for failing to exploit the country's uranium resources for running atomic power plants and denying the nation "full benefits" of nuclear energy valued at nearly Rs 6,000 crore.
The Comptroller and Auditor General lashed out at the DAE for basing the fuel needs for its 15 Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) on availability of uranium rather than actual demand for running the atomic power units at maximum capacity.
"... formal demand on nuclear fuel cycle was based more on the availability of uranium rather than on the requirement of the fuel for the PHWRs at its maximum capacity, to enable it to generate optimum nuclear power," the CAG said.
The auditor noted that though nuclear power plants operated with greater efficiency in 1999-2003 at 80 percent of installed capacity, power generation dipped significantly as the number of reactors increased leading to fuel mismatch.
Thereafter, due to constraints in fuel supplies, the average capacity factors of PHWRs as a whole were consistently brought down from 80 percent in 2002-03 to 72, 67, 64, and 50 percent respectively during 2003-08.
"This had resulted in the PHWRs operating at lower capacity and denying the nation, the full benefits of clean nuclear energy to the extent of 21,845 million units corresponding to Rs 5986 crore calculated at an average tariff of Rs 2.74 per unit," the CAG said.
The DAE also told the auditors that though nuclear reactors were being constructed fast currently, development of uranium mines had got delayed primarily due to "factors external to DAE."
The Department said that government was putting in "best efforts" to open new mines, initiatives that are facing law and order issues, and requisite clearances from the environment and forests departments.
The explanation of the DAE did not find favour with the CAG, which termed the "best efforts" as "belated" and which have not yielded the desired results.
"The DAE, as the implementing department of the government of India for the nuclear power programme, needs to effectively address these factors referred by them as being external to them," it said.
The CAG also indicted the DAE for seeking approval of four new PHWR despite having knowledge that there was an impending shortage of uranium fuel.
"DAE had not linked or ensured availability of fuel to fully address the needs of PHWR programme upto 2020. Inspite of knowledge of an impending shortage of uranium fuel, DAE went ahead and sought approval for four new PHWRs at the cost of Rs 6,354 crore," it said.
Terming this a "significant deficiency" in the planning process, the auditor said that the DAE should have addressed the issue at the time of planning for these new reactors.
DAE pulled up for denying country full benefits of nuke power
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