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India registers record production
of nuclear fuel
Updated: Apr 8, 2015 07:03 PM , By PTI
In a major milestone for the nuclear industry,
India has registered a record production of over
1,252 MT of uranium bundles, manufacturing
close to double the annual fuel requirement of
atomic reactors in the country.
The production has also exceeded country’s
annual fuel requirement of 650 MT for the
Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs),
which means the country has surplus nuclear
fuel, for at least a few months.
The Hyderabad-based Nuclear Fuel Complex,
which produces fuel for nuclear reactors in the
country, has produced over 30 per cent more
fuel compared to its 961.023 MT production in
2013-14.
“We have gone beyond our requirement this
year,” Chief Engineer of NFC, N Saibaba, told
PTI here.
The news is a breather for the power reactors in
the country, which for all these years had been
“under- performing”, primarily because of lack of
fuel.
NFC, set-up with an initial production capacity
of 100 MT per year, was augmented several
times to a capacity to 850 MT, to cater to the
fuel requirement of all the 18 operating PHWRs
and the two Boiling Water Reactors at Tarapur.
“The credit for this achievement goes to the
employees. The average working hours of NFC
employees have increased from 6.25 hours to
8.15 hours. Secondly, we have made changes in
almost all the manufacturing processes, which
saved on time,” Mr. Saibaba added.
The nuclear fuel production in the country has
seen a steady increase over the last seven
years. A lot has been attributed to the Indo-U.S.
nuclear agreement and the subsequent ones
with Nuclear Suppliers Group that made the
process of acquiring uranium simpler.
In 2008-09, NFC produced 226.89 —— the year
Indo—US nuclear deal was signed. In 2009-10,
the figure increased to 600.91 MT. In 2013-14,
it crossed its rated capacity of 850 MT for the
first time and produced 961.23 MT of uranium
fuel.
India produces around 5,780 MW of nuclear
power. Of this, 4,780 MW of electricity is
generated by fuel processed at the NFC. Fuel
for the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant
(KKNPP) unit 1 is provided by Russia, as per
the bilateral agreement.
of nuclear fuel
Updated: Apr 8, 2015 07:03 PM , By PTI
In a major milestone for the nuclear industry,
India has registered a record production of over
1,252 MT of uranium bundles, manufacturing
close to double the annual fuel requirement of
atomic reactors in the country.
The production has also exceeded country’s
annual fuel requirement of 650 MT for the
Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs),
which means the country has surplus nuclear
fuel, for at least a few months.
The Hyderabad-based Nuclear Fuel Complex,
which produces fuel for nuclear reactors in the
country, has produced over 30 per cent more
fuel compared to its 961.023 MT production in
2013-14.
“We have gone beyond our requirement this
year,” Chief Engineer of NFC, N Saibaba, told
PTI here.
The news is a breather for the power reactors in
the country, which for all these years had been
“under- performing”, primarily because of lack of
fuel.
NFC, set-up with an initial production capacity
of 100 MT per year, was augmented several
times to a capacity to 850 MT, to cater to the
fuel requirement of all the 18 operating PHWRs
and the two Boiling Water Reactors at Tarapur.
“The credit for this achievement goes to the
employees. The average working hours of NFC
employees have increased from 6.25 hours to
8.15 hours. Secondly, we have made changes in
almost all the manufacturing processes, which
saved on time,” Mr. Saibaba added.
The nuclear fuel production in the country has
seen a steady increase over the last seven
years. A lot has been attributed to the Indo-U.S.
nuclear agreement and the subsequent ones
with Nuclear Suppliers Group that made the
process of acquiring uranium simpler.
In 2008-09, NFC produced 226.89 —— the year
Indo—US nuclear deal was signed. In 2009-10,
the figure increased to 600.91 MT. In 2013-14,
it crossed its rated capacity of 850 MT for the
first time and produced 961.23 MT of uranium
fuel.
India produces around 5,780 MW of nuclear
power. Of this, 4,780 MW of electricity is
generated by fuel processed at the NFC. Fuel
for the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant
(KKNPP) unit 1 is provided by Russia, as per
the bilateral agreement.
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