Hyderabad, Apr 1 (PTI) Following clearance by the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the first consignment of 60 tonnes of uranium ore concentrate, imported from France, has arrived at the Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC) here for being converted into fuel for power reactors.
This uranium ore would be processed and used to pruduce power in safeguarded pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs).
Disclosing this at a press conference here yesterday, R N Jayaraj, chief executive, NFC , said that consequent to Indo-US nuclear deal, the 123 agreement and clearance by NSG to enable full civil nuclear cooperation, India and France had entered into bilateral cooperation for supplying reactors and fuel.
As a first step, Department of Atomic Energy entered into a contract with French Nuclear supplier AREVA NC for the supply of 300 tonnes of uranium ore concentrate and 60 tonnes were released under the first consignment which was received by the NFC.
Jayaraj said the fuel would be processed in the designated fuel plants at the NFC by converting uranium ore concentrated into nuclear grade uranium dioxide powder and then compacted in the form of cylindrical pellets.
These pellets will then stacked and encapsulated in thin walled tubes of zirconium alloy which will be sealed by resistance welding using end plugs, a technology which has been innovated in India.
Nineteen such fuel pins are assembled to form a fuel bundle for PHWR of 220 MW Capacity. These bundles will then be loaded in the safeguarded PHWRs, Jayaraj said.
According to hi, one such fuel bundle containing about 15 kg of uranium dioxide can generate about 6,40,000 units of power.
Jayaraj said, "15 PHWRs are in operations of which 13 are of 220 MW capacity and two are of 540 MW capacity. While Rajasthan 1 and 2 are already under safeguards in addition to two boiling water reactors, gradually all the reactors will be put under safeguards."
"Rajasthan 5 and 6 will be taken into civilian domain followed by Rajasthan 3 and 4, Narora 1 and 2 and Kakrapara 1 and 2 all of which will be brought under safeguards gradually," he said, noting that by 2014 all ten reactors will be brought under safeguards.
He said by 2020 the country will be producing 20,000 MW of nuclear power. Of this, 10,000 MW will be from PHWs which will consists of 16 220 MW reactors, two 540 MW reactors and eight 700 MW reactors, he said.
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The balance 10,000 MW will be produced from light water pressurised reactors, he said. Light water pressurised reactors are being constructed with the help of Russia for which the uranium will also be imported from Russia.
Russia has committed that it supply 120 tonnes of fuel, which is likely to come in April.
Jayaraj also said dialogue is also taking place with Kazakhstan for supply of nuclear fuel.