In a major development that would give a boost to the nuclear fuel manufacture in India, the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has entered into an agreement with Messrs CAMECO Inc, Canada, for supply of 3,000 metric tonnes of Uranium Ore concentrate during 2015-20. Canada is one of the world’s largest producers of Uranium, and M/s CAMECO Inc is a Uranium supplier of global standing.
The agreement, signed between DAE and CAMECO during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Canada on Wednesday, “reflects the mutual trust and understanding between India and Canada and the growing strength of their civil co-operation”.
“It (the agreement) also signifies the re-emergence of Canada as one of India’s key and reliable partners in civil nuclear energy," a news release issued by the DAE stated here on Thursday.
The DAE, which is a department that works directly under the Prime Minister with its headquarters in Mumbai, said that the Uranium under the contract would be used for manufacturing nuclear fuel in India for the Indian nuclear plants under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards. "It (Uranium) will further enhance the utilisation of India's installed and upcoming nuclear power generation capacity," the release said.
"The agreement is direct significant to India's long-term energy security, and will facilitate the country's efforts to enhance the share of low-carbon energy resources in its total energy mix with a view to address climate change," the DAE said.