Government of India
Department of Atomic Energy
 
HPAD/PR/2009/03                                                                                                                                         February 11, 2009
 
  
Press Release
 
The Department of Atomic Energy and TVEL, a Joint Stock Company of the Russian Federation have signed a contract today for the long term supply of 2000 ton of natural uranium pellets for India’s Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors and another contract  for about 60 Ton Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) pellets for Boiling Water Reactor units at Tarapur being operated by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL). For the two BWRs at Tarapur, Russia had earlier supplied fuel pellets on two occasions, and the present supply is a repeat of earlier contracts.
 
The president of TVEL with a team of high officials of his company attended the signing ceremony at the head office of the Department of Atomic Energy in Mumbai. The Directorate of Purchase and Stores of the Department of Atomic Energy signed the contract from the Indian side. Imported natural Uranium from Russia will be used in the domestic pressurized heavy water reactors under IAEA safeguards.
 
This is a major and second agreement, India has signed for the supply of fuel since the changes in NSG guidelines on September 6, 2008 to facilitate international civil nuclear trade with India. Earlier an agreement was signed with AREVA of France for the supply of 300 tons of uranium.
 
TVEL, a large Russian enterprise deals with nuclear fuel fabrication and supply. It supplies fuel to Russian and many other nuclear reactors in the world. TVEL is also the supplier for nuclear fuel assemblies for Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (2 X 1000 MWe) being set up in collaboration with Russian Federation at Kudankulam, Tamilnadu. TVEL has already supplied in May 2008, the fuel required for initial years of operation for these reactors.
 
NPCIL is unique in having acquired, under one roof, comprehensive capability in all facets of nuclear technology namely – site selection, design, construction, commissioning, operation, maintenance and life extension of nuclear power plants
 
NPCIL has at present 17 Nuclear Power Reactors of 4120 MWe in operation and 5 Nuclear Power Reactors of 2660 MWe under construction. NPCIL has plans for significant capacity addition including nuclear reactors to be set up in technical  cooperation with various countries.
 
 (S.K. Malhotra)
Head, Public Awareness Division
Mobile No.: 09869050302