The Hindu Business Line : India positive on outcome of nuke deal talks: Kakodkar

Atomic point: Dr Anil Kakodkar, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy (right), and Dr Anjan Chaki, Director, AMD, at a meeting in Hyderabad on Wednesday. —

Our Bureau

Hyderabad, Feb. 20 “India is approaching the outcome of the Indo-US nuclear deal negotiations in a positive way, with our stand very clearly defined,” asserted the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), Dr Anil Kakodkar.

“We have negotiated the 123 Agreement thoroughly and are looking forward to the decision of the US Congress. What happens will happen”, Dr Kakodkar told presspersons here today.

Responding to questions, he said both at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Nuclear Supply Group (NSG), the country has made its position clear with regard to India specific safety guidelines and exemptions.

“We are keen to open up to international co-operation in civil nuclear power. But for this to happen, the NSG (has about 45 nations in its fold) has to make clear exemptions to India in its guidelines,” Dr Kakodkar, who is also the Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), said.

The country is also talking to several friendly nations to source uranium as well as nuclear reactor to give a fillip to its nuclear power programme, he said in response to questions on the offer made by the Russians and French recently.

On the issue of Australia stating that it would not supply uranium, Dr Kakodkar said “It is not as if we went to Australia and asked for uranium. They expressed willingness to offer and now they are saying they are not keen. They are not the only country; we have several others with whom discussions are on”.

On the existing demand-supply gap for uranium to fuel the nuclear power programme, Dr Kakodkar said efforts to expand the supply are on. In Thuramdih in Singhbum district of Jharkhand, a 3000-tonne per day (tpd) new mine and mill is going through the commissioning phase and should provide uranium in a couple of months. There is scope to expand capacity by another 50 per cent.

Similarly, in Thummallapalle in Kadapah district of Andhra Pradesh, uranium production should begin by end of 2010. Fresh mines in Meghalaya and Rajasthan are also on the anvil, he said.

There is a renewed push on uranium exploration. The DAE is also keen to get private companies, including foreign ones selectively into different aspects of the process. Technical co-operation for foreign companies is welcome, Dr Kakodkar said.

In the long term, the Atomic Minerals Directorate (AMD), Hyderabad, part of the DAE, will bring in lot of new techniques and technologies to explore in prospective areas to at least double the uranium reserves from the existing 90,000 tonnes, he added.

More Stories on : Power | Foreign Relations

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page