Hyderabad-based Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC) on Tuesday received 60 tonne uranium ore concentrate from Areva NC, France.
This is the first batch of the imported nuclear fuel. Another consignment is due in April, said NFC chief executive officer RN Jayaraj.
Addressing the media here, he said the dispatch was part of the bilateral agreement that India and France had entered for supplying reactors and fuel consequent to the Indo-US nuclear deal, 123 Agreement and clearance by the Nuclear Suppliers Group for civil nuclear cooperation. NFC has placed an order for 300 tonne uranium ore concentrate, the biggest for India so far, with the French company and will get the remaining 240 tonne in a month or so.
The uranium would be used for making about 20,000 fuel bundles, each weighing 15 kg and capable of generating 6,40,000 units of power.
He said deliberations were on between the Department of Atomic Energy and a Russian company for import of another 120 tonne uranium concentrate to the NFC. The complex would also hold talks with Kazakhstan for further imports.
NFC is responsible for supply of nuclear fuel bundles and reactor core components for all the nuclear power reactors operating in India. It currently supplies nuclear fuel to all the 15 pressurised heavy water reactors and two boiling water reactors.
Jayaraj said NFC has also secured an order from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN nuclear watchdog, for making an ‘end closure welding’ machine for a third world country.
