By IANS,
New Delhi : India would require an estimated 5,057 tonnes of uranium during the Twelfth Five Year Plan period from 2012-2017, union minister V. Narayanasamy said Wednesday.
This would include 318 tonnes of low enriched uranium for the Tarapur Atomic Power Station (TAPS) 1&2 and the Kudankulam 1&2 units, Narayanasamy, who is minister of state in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), said in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.
The minister informed the Lok Sabha that as part of a long-term uranium procurement policy, there were agreements with Russia and Kazakhstan. These would involve the import of 1,375 tonnes of natural uranium dioxide pellets from Russia and 1,150 tonnes of natural uranium ore concentrate from Kazakhstan.
While invoking “public interest” in declining to disclose the amount of uranium being produced within the country, Narayanasamy referred to reports of the Australian government’s statement lifting the ban on the export of uranium to India.
However, “no formal communication has been received by the Government of India from Australia, so far”, the minister said.
He added that “it is not possible, as yet, to provide the time by which uranium for our reactors would be available from Australia”.
On Dec 4, Australia’s ruling Labor Party representatives passed a motion to remove a ban on uranium exports to India after a passionate debate on the issue that saw sharp divisions in the cabinet.
The issue had also come up when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met his Australian counterpart Julia Gillard in Bali on the sidelines of the India-Asean and East Asia summits.