Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) Chairman Srikumar Banerjee has said that the country was firm on securing the right to reprocessing nuclear fuel under the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, the Times of India reported. The deal is in the final stages of getting operationalized.
Banerjee said, “We have to be sure that we have the right to reprocess spent fuel, which will be generated by the nuclear reactors.”
Referring to the Indo-US negotiations for a reprocessing agreement, Banerjee said, “We are working on this aspect.” Negotiations on the reprocessing deal began in July. Among other things, the reprocessing agreement is critical to enabling American companies enter the civil nuclear sector in India.
As per the 123 Agreement, the US had agreed that India will set up a national facility dedicated to reprocessing safeguarded nuclear material under the International Atomic Energy Agency.
However, both sides had to agree on the “arrangements and procedures” under which reprocessing would take place in this new facility. “We have given them (the US) the possibility of two sites (for the reprocessing facility),” said Banerjee.
The AEC Chief added: “After the Indo-US civil nuclear deal and the opening up of other countries for nuclear cooperation, India is progressing steadily with her objective of sourcing uranium from foreign nations for powering the country’s nuclear reactors. The fuel will have to be utilised for the safeguarded reactors.”
Referring to the nuclear power generation plan, Banerjee said, “All ongoing efforts are directed towards meeting the target of 60,000 mega watt (MW) capacity for nuclear power by 2032. This will be 10 per cent of the 6,00,000 MW installed capacity that has been projected from all sources by 2032 in the country.”
As of now, nuclear power accounts for a 3% share in the overall power being generated from different sources in India, he said. Taking this share up to 10% by 2032 involves a slew of measures, including the setting up of imported light water reactors that are intended to add 20,000 MW capacity.
Banerjee said that the department of atomic energy was in the process of setting up energy parks that will have more reactors. Each of these parks could have a 6 x 1,000 MW or even 6 x 1,650 MW capacity. The energy parks are coming up at Chhayamithi Virdi in Gujarat, Jaitapur in Maharashtra and Kowada in Andhra Pradesh, among other places, he said.
“The Kaiga incident was not sabotage. In fact, I am not sure how one can define sabotage in an incidents like this,” he said, adding, “An inquiry into the incident is in progress.”