Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Monday, Jun 16, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version | Audio
Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Monday, Jun 16, 2008 ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version | Audio |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Home Page
-
Minerals Industry & Economy - Power Government - Policy Private players may be roped in to speed up uranium mining
Mines discovered and explored by the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research are likely to be commercialised 
Anil Sasi
New Delhi, June 15 Bolstered by several new uranium findings across the country, and with a worsening fuel crunch badly affecting nuclear plant operations, the Government is looking at the option of opening uranium mining to the private sector. Plans by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) to commercialise exploratory uranium mines in order to speed up domestic mining efforts come in the wake of a widening gap between fuel requirement and availability for nuclear power plants. Under the proposal, private players may be allowed to invest in designated mines and extract uranium, with State-owned companies such as Uranium Corporation of India Ltd subsequently buying the mined mineral, Government officials said. Mines that have been discovered and explored so far by the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research — which carries out the initial exploration of nuclear minerals in the country — are likely to be commercialised, officials said. New findsThis move comes in the wake of around 190 tonnes of additional uranium resources being established recently in Sikar district of Rajasthan and Lostoin and Wahkyn in Meghalaya, officials said. Significant mineralised bands have also been identified in Belgaum and Gulbarga districts in Karnataka; Nalgonda, Guntur and Kadapa districts in Andhra Pradesh; Mahendragarh district in Haryana; Durg district in Chhattisgarh; and Jajpur district in Orissa. “Reconnaissance survey has resulted in discovering promising uranium anomalies in new sites. The department will be doing exploratory mining of 1.4 lakh sq metres across the country for uranium during the current Five-Year Plan and involving private partners can definitely speed up the process,” a Government official said. Total uranium resources established in the country so far amount to 94,000 tonnes, most of which are located in three main provinces — Singhbhum, Mahadek and Cuddapah. Currently all deposits at Singhbhum province in the east are being exploited, including Jaduguda, Narwapahar, Turamdih, and Bagjata. The Mahadek uranium province in Meghalaya contains the largest and richest sandstone-hosted uranium deposit in the country in the West Khasi Hills district. Another deposit of similar nature is at Wahkyn, where exploration activities are in progress. The Cuddapah uranium province includes the Tummalapalle deposits in Andhra Pradesh. Fuel shortageWith progress on the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal on the backburner, nuclear fuel imports in the near future have been ruled out for now, officials said. The total capacity of the 17 nuclear reactors in the country is 4,120 MWe (mega watt electrical). Existing nuclear stations recorded a PLF (plant load factor) of 46.4 per cent in March, as fuel shortages affected generation. State-owned Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) had been running these plants at 95 per capacity since the late 1990s. NPCIL’s new units — RAPS 5 and 6 (in Rajasthan), and Kaiga 4 (in Karnataka) — are facing delays beyond their June 2008 commissioning schedule due to lack of uranium. These new units cumulatively add up to 440 MWe of fresh power capacity. Nuclear energy contributes less than three per cent of the country’s installed generation capacity. The country is not well endowed with uranium ore and the shortage of fuel is becoming a stumbling block for the expansion of nuclear power. DAE plans to involve private sector in uranium exploration Centre offers to set up nuclear plant in Meghalaya in lieu of uranium Uranium shortage hits Nuclear Power Reliance arm pays $3.45 m to UXA for uranium exploration N-power: Govt may look at Africa for uranium supplies CCEA nod for setting up new uranium mine, plant Uranium plant to come up in Kadapa Govt developing air-borne system for uranium deposits Uranium demand-supply mismatch to ease soon More Stories on : Minerals | Power | Policy
Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page
|
Stories in this Section |
 |
|
The Hindu Group: Home | About Us | Copyright | Archives | Contacts | Subscription Group Sites: The Hindu | The Hindu ePaper | Business Line | Business Line ePaper | Sportstar | Frontline | The Hindu eBooks | The Hindu Images | Home |
Copyright © 2008, The
Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of
this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of
The Hindu Business Line
|
