CANADA’S URANIUM DEAL HELPS INDIA

NEWS: India signed a $2.6 billion uranium supply deal with Cameco, one of the world’s top three uranium producers

India’s Uranium ‘Stocks’ (Domestic Reserves)

Domestic Uranium Reserves

• Total uranium ore reserves: 2–4.3 lakh tonnes.
• Major mining locations: Jaduguda (Jharkhand), Turamdih (Jharkhand), Tummalapalle (Andhra Pradesh)
• Extractable uranium metal: Around 76,000–92,000 tonnes

Imports

• Currently about 75% of India’s civilian uranium needs are met through imports.
• Countries supplying uranium: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Russia, Canada (latest deal)

India–Canada Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement

This agreement was possible because:

• Nuclear Suppliers Group gave India a waiver in 2008
• This waiver followed the India–United States Civil Nuclear Agreement.

Key Feature of the Agreement

• India must provide “fissionable material accounts” to Canada.
• Canada can track how the uranium supplied is used.
• Strategic advantage: Imported uranium is used in civilian reactors, allowing domestic uranium to be reserved for military use.

India’s ThreeStage Nuclear Power Programme

• Designed by Homi J. Bhabha.
• To utilize India’s large thorium reserves (20–25% of world total).

Stage 1 – PHWRs

• Fuel: Natural Uranium-235
• Output: Electricity, Plutonium-239 (byproduct)

Stage 2 – Fast Breeder Reactors

• Fuel: Mixed Oxide Fuel (MOX), Uranium-238, Plutonium-239
• Produce more fuel than they consume.
• Example: Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor
• Outputs: Electricity, Uranium-233, More Plutonium-239

Stage 3 – Thorium Based Reactors

• Fuel: Thorium-232, Plutonium-239
• Output: Electricity, Uranium-233
• This stage aims to exploit India’s huge thorium reserves.

Problems in India’s Nuclear Programme

Delays

• Fast breeder test reactor built in 1977
• PFBR approved only in early 2000s.
• Reason: International sanctions after nuclear tests

Cost Overruns

• PFBR cost: ₹3,492 crore (initial estimate), Increased to ₹6,800 crore by 2019

Long Time for Thorium Deployment

• According to the Department of Atomic Energy (2013): Large-scale thorium use may take 30–40 years after commercial fast breeder reactors.
• This may push thorium deployment to around the 2060s or later.

Doubling Time of Fast Breeder Reactors

• As explained by Anil Kakodkar: Doubling time = 15–20 years