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Uranium production to be stepped up: Kakodkar

R. Vimal Kumar

Tuticorin: Uranium production in the country would be augmented to match the growing fuel demands of nuclear power reactors, according to Anil Kakodkar, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission. Speaking to The Hindu during a visit here on Tuesday, he said a uranium mine and processing mill would be commissioned at Tummalapalli in Andhra Pradesh shortly. Projects would be taken up in Meghalaya and Karnataka as part of the exploration programme to remove the present mismatch in demand and supply of fuel.

Power generation

The installed capacity of power would go up to 7,280 MWe once the three pressurised heavy water reactors, two light water reactors and a 500 MWe prototype fast breeder reactor at Kalpakkam were commissioned.

“The construction of the proposed 300 MWe plant, which will use thorium as fuel, will commence during the 11th Five Year plan period,” Mr. Kakodkar said.

At the end of the 10th plan, the inventory of heavy mineral resources, comprising ilmenite, monazite, zircon and garnet, stood at 867 million tonnes. On the zirconium complex being set up on an outlay of about Rs. 300 crore at Pazhayakayal in the district, he said the plant would be commissioned next year. It would have the capacity to produce 500 tonnes of zirconium dioxide and 250 tonnes of zirconium sponge, required for making fuel tubes in nuclear reactors.

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