India today signed a key safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to allow inspection of additional civilian reactors, clearing the decks for supply of atomic fuel and technology by the international community after a 34-year-old nuke trade embargo was lifted last year. The pact between the government of India and the UN atomic watchdog for the ‘Application of Safeguards to Civilian Nuclear Facilities’ was inked here by the IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei and Indian Amabassador Saurabh Kumar.
India currently applies inspection by the IAEA in six civilian nuclear reactors under safeguards agreements concluded between 1971 and 1994.
In future, additional reactors are expected to be brought under the IAEA safeguards under the newly-signed agreement.
“The safeguards agreement, which is the result of several rounds of consultations conducted between India and the IAEA since November 2007, was approved by the IAEA Board of Governors in August 2008,” the IAEA said in a statement.
The agreement will enter into force once it was ratified by India, it said.
The India-specific safeguards agreement (ISSA) was approved by the 35-member IAEA Board on August 1 last year.
With this, India can go ahead with its nuclear commerce with the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). Also, those countries which have signed civil nuclear agreements with India can now proceed with their ratification process in their respective countries, Department of Atomic Energy sources said.
The agreement with the IAEA was a pre-condition for the implementation of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal and allows the 45-member NSG to supply material and technology for India’s ambitious nuclear power programme.
According to Chairman and Managing Director of Nuclear Power Corporation, SK Jain, this is one step forward towards the agreed framework in implementing the deal on international nuclear commerce.
Jain said, “We are happy that we have achieved another milestone in the journey of nuclear power commerce.”
The ISSA will allow operationalisation of inter-governmental agreements (with Russia, US and France). Now it has to get a cabinet nod and then go for ratification.
Atomic Energy Commission member MR Srinivasan said this was a “crucial step” as per the plan of action under the civil nuclear cooperation with the US.
Importing of natural uranium immediately would be possible for fuel-starved nuclear indigenous reactors once it is ratified, he said.
India has already signed a contract with the French power company AREVA for importing 300 tonnes of yellow cake (natural uranium).
Srinivsan said this agreement will also enable import of Light Water Reactors from Russia and France for which talks are on with these countries.
India has also signed an agreement with Kazakhstan on supply of uranium and planning to ink a pact with Canada for resumption of nuclear commerce.
Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission Anil Kakodkar said he was “happy” about signing of the agreement. The next immediate step would be to work for the process of ratification by the Indian government, he said.
The second step which will have to be taken was to file a declaration to the UN nuclear watchdog on which facilities will be placed under safeguards and their time frame, he said.
About the Additional Protocol agreement with IAEA, Srinivasan said, so far the six power reactors which are under IAEA safeguards are under facility-specific safeguards. Now all the six plus eight reactors (total 14) have to be placed under the umbrella of ISSA.
“Therefore, discussions are on and India is looking at certain procedural aspects and not any policy aspects,” Srinivasan said.
India has already placed six of its reactors under various safeguards agreements which include units one and two of Tarapur in Maharashtra, units one and two of Kota (RAPS), Rajasthan and two units at Koodankulam, Tamil Nadu which will be brought under the umbrella of ISSA after the ratification of the inspection agreement.
Under the same plan, the civilian plants — RAPS units five and six — will be placed under IAEA inspection in 2009 and RAPS units three and four in 2010.
In 2012, units one and two of Kakrapara atomic power stations in Gujarat and in 2014, units one and two of Narora atomic power plants in Uttar Pradesh would be brought under international inspection, DAE sources said.
