New Delhi: Paving the way for having imported fuel for its nuclear power reactors, India will complete the process of placing its civilian reactors under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards in the next two days.
Sources said the last lot of the two reactors- units 1 and 2 of the Narora Atomic Power Station in Bulandshahar in Uttar Pradesh- will go under safeguards of the international atomic energy body in the next two days and necessary paper work is under process.
Until now 20 facilities have gone under IAEA safeguards. This includes unit 1 and 2 of Tarapur Atomic Power Station (TAPS), units 1 to 6 of Rajasthan Atomic Power Station, units 1 and 2 of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, units and units 1 and 2 of Kakrapar Atomic Power Station.
These reactors are eligible for using imported uranium India is procuring from different countries. Apart from it, Nuclear Material Store, Away from Reactor (AFR) Fuel Storage Facility, both at Tarapur, Uranium Oxide Plant, Ceramic Fuel Fabrication Plant, Enriched Uranium Fuel, Enriched Uranium Oxide Plant, Enriched Fuel Fabrication Plant and the Gadolinia Facility- all the Nuclear Fuel Complex in Hyderabad- have been placed under the IAEA safeguards.
The new reactors, which will come up with the help of foreign collaboration, will automatically be placed under the IAEA regards safeguards.
Unit 1 of the two Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) - each with a capacity of 220 MW- was commissioned in January 1 while the second unit was commissioned in July 1992. Indian power reactors have been running below the capacity "due to the mismatch of power and supply demand of uranium".
The two reactors, which have been running below their capacity, will get much needed fuel.
The development comes ahead of the visit of US President Barack Obama to India next month, hereby completing the mandatory process under the Indo-US nuclear deal. Under the Indo-US nuclear cooperation agreement, India was to sign and ratify the Additional Protocol of the IAEA.
A separation plan was chalked out after the deal, segregating the military and civilian reactors. The civilian reactors were to be placed under the IAEA safeguards by December 2014, which will enable India to use the much needed international fuel for civilian reactors.
Incidentally, before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to US in September last year, India ratified the Additional Protocol with the IAEA in June this year.
The IAEA on its part refused to share details of the safeguard issues.
"Safeguards issues and bilateral protocols between the IAEA and its member states are of confidential nature.
Therefore, we are not able to provide any comments," the IAEA said.
