India has already received natural uranium in the form of pellets from Russia and as yellowcake from Areva of France for use in its safeguarded reactors, according to S.K. Jain, Chairman and Managing Director, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL).

This is consequent to the Nuclear Suppliers Group relaxing its Guidelines last year to allow its member-countries to have nuclear trade with India. Subsequently, India signed agreements with Russia and France for importing nuclear power reactors and fuel.

Mr. Jain said on Tuesday that India had also received clearance from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the fabrication of this imported fuel into fuel rods. The process was now underway at the Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC), Hyderabad.

“…I am happy to share with you that I flagged off on Saturday [July 11] the first consignment of fabricated fuel from the NFC for use in the second unit [already under safeguards] of the Rajasthan Atomic Power Station (RAPS),” Mr. Jain said.

The entire initial core of natural uranium fuel for RAPS-2 would be available in August. The reactor, which has a capacity of 200 MWe, would start generating full power in September/October. (..)

T.S. Subramaniam, The Hindu