labels: Economy - general
Government considering potential sites for nuclear plants; thorium reactors on cards news
06 December 2007

Mumbai: The site selection committee (SSC) of the union government has evaluated potential sites as offered by various states, including Madhya Pradesh, for locating nuclear power plants, minister of state in the Prime Minister''''s Office, Prithviraj Chavan, said.

The committee has submitted its report and the government is studying the report for in-principle approval of the recommended sites, he said.

The setting up of atomic plants would depend on the nuclear power programme and establishment of fuel linkages, Chavan informed the Lok Sabha.

He said the government plans to improve the operation of nuclear power reactors and reduce the gestation period of reactors under construction. It is also trying to cut down on delays in exploration of new uranium mines, he said.

The planning commission has allocated Rs11,000 crore for the department of atomic energy to carry out research and development during the 11th plan, the minister said.

"We are also working to develop international civil nuclear cooperation to boost the country''''s nuclear electricity generation programme," he added.

The minister had, on Wednesday, said the government was working towards evolving a consensus on the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, which will put the research on thorium-based reactors on the fast track.

"We are hoping to get unanimity in the country over the nuclear deal," Chavan told the Lok Sabha.

He said research on thorium-based nuclear reactors was on track and with international cooperation "it will be put on fast track."

Thorium Power Ltd of the US, the leading developer of low-waste, non-proliferative nuclear fuel technology for existing and future reactors, meanwhile, said it has entered into a consulting and strategic advisory services agreement with a foreign government-owned entity to develop a roadmap - the first phase of a feasibility study - for prospective civilian nuclear power plants.

The roadmap will include recommendations related to timelines, organisational structure and priorities for subsequent phases of the programme, it said.

The terms of the agreement call for an initial payment to Thorium Power of $5 million at the start of the first 15-week phase of the feasibility study.

The agreement also provides a framework for a subsequent consulting engagement for the second phase of the feasibility study, which will be mutually agreed to by the parties. The scope of the services under the agreement have been defined in consultation with appropriate authorities in the US government in compliance with all applicable US export controls.

Thorium Power intends to communicate additional details about the client relationship once certain governmental steps are completed in both countries relating to potential additional work, it said.

Thorium Power was selected after a detailed technical review of the company''''s fuel designs by independent nuclear experts, as well as an extensive evaluation of the company''''s experience within the global nuclear industry and its expertise in non-proliferation issues.

"While we have had our non-proliferative fuel designs undergoing tests in a research reactor for the past several years, this agreement marks a milestone for Thorium Power''''s commercialisation efforts. The agreement provides validation for our business model, where consulting and government services are early revenue drivers as well as important elements in the sales process for our broader offering," Erik Hallstrom, COO of Thorium Power, said.

Based in McLean, VA, Thorium Power is a nuclear energy pioneer and the leading developer of thorium-based nuclear fuel designs. The company''''s technologies include nuclear fuel designs optimised to address key concerns about traditional nuclear power, including nuclear proliferation and nuclear waste.

Thorium Power plans to license its technologies to commercial and government owned reactor operators and nuclear fuel fabricators aiming to benefit from thorium-based fuels.

Chavan allayed fears of foreign companies cornering a chunk of the work of setting up nuclear power plants, saying that 95 per cent of the work of building a nuclear power plant will be done by the Indian private sector as the country''''s atomic programme expands.

He also dismissed the idea that the global trend was of moving away from nuclear energy. He said the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) or any central government company is free to enter the nuclear sector.


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Government considering potential sites for nuclear plants; thorium reactors on cards