India is looking to acquire uranium mining assets abroad and enter into a long-term contract with some of the suppliers to meet the future fuel requirements of the nuclear power plants in the country.
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Director, R. K. Sinha said that in the new scenario there were opportunities to own uranium mining assets and enter into long-term contracts. “We are exploring… it certainly is on our agenda”, he said without specifying a time-frame for such a deal.
Talking to reporters after the inaugural function of the 22nd annual conference of the Indian Nuclear Society-INSAC-2011 here on Thursday, he could not say anything specific about Australia's willingness to lift the ban on sales of uranium.
Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) Srikumar Banerjee expressed confidence that the stalemate over the Kudankulam nuclear plant in Tamil Nadu would be resolved and “we will be able to win the hearts of the people.” He said that a 15-member experts team, appointed by the Centre, which visited the site previously, had two meetings with the panel constituted by the Tamil Nadu government and gave written answers to them on all points. These were being explained to the local people.
Seeking to allay fears, he asserted that there was no question of any problem such as the one experienced in Fukushima, Japan in the wake of the tsunami which damaged the plant. He said there would be no impact of the nuclear plant on the fishing activities of the local people or their livelihood. There was enough proof on this count at the Tarapur or Kalpakkam atomic plants.
