India to receive uranium from Kazakhstan

India could soon receive up to 2,500 tonnes of uranium from Kazakhstan as an agreement in this regard is set to be signed between the two sides by the month-end.       

Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and Kazatomprom are holding talks and a contract for supply of uranium is expected to be signed by the end of this month, Kazakh Ambassador Kairat Umarov told PTI here.       

The fuel will be meant for the existing nuclear plants that are under IAEA safeguards, he said.       

On the quantity of uranium to be supplied under the contract, Umarov said he was not aware as the companies were dealing with the issue directly.       

Sources, however, said the discussions centred around supply of 2500 tonnes, a quantity which India wanted for running its reactors to full capacity.       

Incidentally, China recently signed an agreement with Kazakhstan, one of the largest producers of uranium, for supply of 23000 tonnes of the nuclear fuel till 2020.       

China is expanding its nuclear industry and in this regard is building 50 nuclear power stations.       

Umarov expressed hope that the first contract between the companies of India and Kazakhstan would lay foundation for to long-term association.