New Delhi, March 18 Uranium Corporation of India Ltd (UCIL) is set to establish a uranium mining and processing plant with a capacity of 2,500 tonnes per day (TPD) at Rohil in the Sikar district of Rajasthan and Jajwal, Chhattisgarh, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Wednesday.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, the minister said that the mining projects are at various stages of obtaining statutory clearances.
"UCIL, a public sector undertaking (PSU) under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), is mandated to mine and process uranium ore in the country. UCIL has undertaken initiatives to enhance the indigenous capability of uranium mining. UCIL plans to undertake new uranium mining projects in line with the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047," said Singh.
The minister said that the Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC), a constituent unit under the DAE, undertakes the fabrication of fuel assemblies indigenously for Nuclear Power Corporation India Limited (NPCIL), which operates pressurized heavy water reactors (PHWRs) and boiling water reactors (BWRs) with uranium as raw material sourced from UCIL and imports.
Singh stated that the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and the Nuclear Recycle Board (NRB) are constructing large-capacity integrated nuclear recycle facilities at the Integrated Nuclear Recycle Plant (INRP) in Tarapur and the Fast Reactor Fuel Cycle Facility (FRFCF) in Kalpakkam.
These facilities will be used for recycling and management of spent fuel from domestic sources and the fabrication of fuel.
"These facilities are expected to enhance the indigenous capacity for fuel fabrication and waste management in the country," Singh said.