The Hindu Business Line : NFC generates cumulative surplus of Rs 631.7 cr

THE Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC), a Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) undertaking, has generated a net cumulative surplus of Rs 631.7 crore for the exchequer.

For the financial year ended March 31, NFC's revenues stood at Rs 710.35 crore (Rs 776.58 crore) as against an expenditure of Rs 447.94 crore (Rs 589.23 crore).

The annual revenue receipts were in the range of Rs 624 crore to Rs 823 crore, far exceeding annual expenditures that were in the range of Rs 399 crore to Rs 589 crore. A lesser plant load factor of reactors resulted in a dip in revenues recently.

Giving these details at a press conference, Dr C. Ganguly, Chairman and Chief Executive of NFC, said the NFC has embarked on a major expansion to meet the increasing demands from the nuclear power sector. It supplies fuel bundles and core components for nuclear reactors.

While the 1,200-acre Palayakkayal (near Tuticorin) Zirconium sponge production unit will be completed in three years, NFC's third unit will come up at Jaduguda in Jharkand State at an estimated cost of Rs 286 crore, Dr Ganguly said.

The expansion was part of NFC's plan to meet the targets set by the department to achieve 20,000 MW power generation by 2020.

He said the NFC had crossed a major milestone of manufacturing three lakh fuel bundles, made of natural uranium oxide pellets and enwrapped in zircaloy pipes, for nuclear reactors in the country.

While the 19-element fuel bundle (for 220 MW units) carries 15 kg of high-density uranium oxide pellets that can generate 6.40 lakh units of electricity, the 37-element bundle (for 540 MW units) carries 22 kg of pellets capable of producing 9.26 lakh units of electricity.

"It took 20 years to produce one lakh fuel bundles, while it took just seven more years to reach the two-lakh landmark and three years for reaching the three-lakh mark," Dr Ganguly said.

Power of nuclear energy: Strongly advocating for nuclear energy, Dr Ganguly said nuclear option ensured affordable, sustainable power supply. Nuclear power held good promise keeping in view the increased preference for non-carbon based energy sources.

"The deposits, if fully utilised, could result in an installed capacity of 350 GW providing power for 1,000 years," Dr Ganguly said.

"There are 14 basins that comprise nuclear resources. We tapped only two so far," he said.

Strongly recommending for taking up the Nalgonda Uranium project (in Cuddapah basin), he said it suited well because of better logistic facilities.

Meanwhile, Dr Ganguly has been appointed as a Director of Nuclear Fuel Cycle at the International Atomic Energy Agency. He is expected to take up the new assignment in August.

Mr R. Kalidas, a Deputy Chief Executive with the Complex, will replace Dr Ganguly. At present, Mr Kalidas is the in-charge of NFC's Tubes Group.