The Department of Atomic Energy will be finalising the techno-commercial offers to the US and other overseas suppliers within the next six to eight months for some of proposed nuclear power plants to be set up by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL).
The offers will map out the technology and components required by India from overseas vendors to set up the new reactors, especially light water reactors, on the basis of the available resources domestically.
In this connection, the department and NPCIL have sought from the US and other overseas suppliers more information on the quantum and extent of technology they are willing to supply for the development of India's nuclear energy programme.
“We are clear in that we will not be importing turnkey reactors. We will be sourcing only technology and components not available with us. In this context, we are asking our vendor countries to provide us more information on what they can supply to help us finalise our techno-commercial offers,” Dr S. Banerjee, Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy, said.
The Kudankulam plant involves a localised component of 50 per cent. “Our aim is to increase the localised content for the third and four stage to 65 per cent and later to 80 per cent,” he told mediapersons on the sidelines of an international conference here.
On uranium mining, Dr Banerjee said India had almost achieved the 11{+t}{+h} Plan target of adding 75,000 tonnes of new uranium finds.
“We have a similar target of adding a new uranium production of 75,000 tonnes in the 12th Plan. There are some exploitable resources in Meghalaya, which we have so far not tapped,” he said.