The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) would achieve a ten-fold rise in uranium production in three phases by 2031-32, the government today informed the Lok Sabha.
In a written response to a question in the Lower House, Jitendra Singh, the Union minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office that directly looks after the DAE, sought to assuage concerns by saying there is no shortage of nuclear fuel for atomic plants in the country.
"As per the vision plan prepared in order to fulfil the requirement of uranium to fuel nuclear power plants, the DAE will achieve nearly ten-fold rise in uranium production in next 15 years (by 2031-32). The uranium projects have been planned in three phases," Singh said.
After completion of the first phase, it is expected to produce 3.5 times the existing uranium production by the 12th year (2029), he said.
On completion of the second phase, uranium production is expected to achieve seven times the existing production. And, after the last phase is complete, uranium production of the country is expected to record a ten-fold rise by 2031-32, the minister added.
India has 22 operating nuclear power plants. Ten foreign reactors -- six in Jaitapur, Maharashtra, and four in Kudankulam, Tamil Nadu -- have been approved. The government has recently approved 10 more indigenous reactors. The move is also expected to fuel these new reactors.
The DAE mines uranium ore from Jaduguda mine in Jharkhand and Tummalapalle mine in Andhra Pradesh. It also imports uranium from Canada, Russia and Kazakhstan.
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