The Hindu : National : FBTR, PFBR to be outside safeguards

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 08, 2006

National

National

FBTR, PFBR to be outside safeguards

Special Correspondent

Nuclear programme will not be hit, says Manmohan Singh

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday outlined the salient elements of the (nuclear facilities) Separation Plan, dwelt on the additional steps to be taken by the U.S. to guard against any disruption of fuel supplies to India and stressed the need to ensure energy security for the future.

Dr. Singh made a 25-minute suo motu statement in both Houses of Parliament on `Discussions on Civil Nuclear Energy Cooperation with the United States: Implementation of India's Separation Plan.'

Dr. Singh said the Separation Plan does not come in the way of the integrity of India's three-stage nuclear programme, including future use of the country's thorium reserves. "The autonomy of our research and development activities in the nuclear field will remain unaffected. The Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) and the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) remain outside safeguards. We have agreed, however, that future civilian thermal power reactors and civilian Fast Breeder Reactors would be placed under safeguards, but the determination of what is civilian is solely an Indian decision."

Fuel supply

One of the major points addressed in the Separation Plan was the need to ensure reliability of fuel supplies, given the unfortunate past experience of disruption in supply of fuel for Tarapur. "We have received commitments from the U.S. for the reliable supply of fuel to India for reactors that will be offered for safeguards.''

To further guard against any disruption of fuel supplies, the U.S. is prepared to take additional steps. These include incorporating assurances regarding fuel supply in a U.S.-India agreement on peaceful uses of nuclear energy that would be negotiated, and the U.S. readiness to join India in negotiating with the IAEA an India-specific fuel supply agreement. If despite these arrangements, a disruption of fuel supplies to India occurs, the U.S. and India would jointly convene a group of friendly supplier countries, including Russia, France and the U.K., to pursue measures that would restore fuel supply.

Urging members to look at the India-U.S. nuclear deal through the larger perspective of energy security, the Prime Minister said India must endeavour to expand its capabilities across the entire energy spectrum — from clean coal and coal-bed methane to gas hydrates and wind and solar power. "We are actively seeking international partnerships across the board and are members of many international initiatives dedicated to energy. At the end of my talks with President Bush, we announced Indian participation in two more programmes: the Future-Gen programme for zero emission thermal power plants and the Integrated Ocean Drilling Programme for gas hydrates."

Dr. Singh said that the significance of the July 18, 2005 India-U.S. joint statement offered the prospect for ending India's nuclear isolation and open up cooperation not only with the U.S. but with Russia, France and other countries with advanced nuclear capabilities, including those from the Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG).

At the appropriate stage, India will approach the IAEA to discuss and fashion an India-specific safeguards agreement that will reflect the unique character of the India-U.S. agreement. He assured the House that India would not accept any provisions that go beyond the parameters of the July 18 joint statement and the Separation Plan.

Both Houses agreed to have a full-fledged discussion on the issue.

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