India in Uranium thirst

India is stepping up its " uranium diplomacy " strategy around the world to get more nuclear fuel for its huge energy needs.

Last week, India signed a civilian nuclear energy agreement with Mongolia, which will help South Asia to access uranium resources from the land of the steppe. According to Bloomberg news, the agreement was reached during the Indian visit of Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj and after his talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. In return, Mongolia will receive a $ 25 million loan from India, according to Uraniuminvestingnews.com.

The deal is India's latest move in its efforts to mobilize new partners and long-term friends to boost uranium supply to nuclear power plants that have been and will be built in the country. . According to the strategy announced at the end of August, India will reach Mongolia, Namibia, Kazakhstan, alongside traditional allies like Russia in the search for indispensable materials for nuclear power production. .

Increase supply

India desperately needs uranium to supply nuclear power plants (Photo: news4u.co.in)

Currently, nuclear energy accounts for only 3% of India's total energy production, but the country has set a target to double its output to reach 10,000 megawatts in 2012. Official figures show that 2030, India can produce 60,000 megawatts of nuclear power. According to Uraniuminvestingnews.com, India currently has 17 reactors in operation, six are under construction, 23 are expected to be operational within the next 10 years.

Although India's reserves of uranium ore are currently estimated at 70,000-100,000 tons, according to SKMalhotra, a spokesman for the Indian Atomic Energy Agency, that amount of ore is "too small considering the huge energy demand." "of a developing country with more than 1 billion people. Talking to AFP news agency, Mr. Malhotra said that India's uranium ore was not of good quality, and that is why it had to import uranium. In addition, efforts to find new ore reserves in the country also face many difficulties due to bureaucratic bureaucracy as well as the opposition of environmental protection organizations.

Evidence of the launch of New Delhi's " uranium diplomacy " strategy began late last month when India welcomed Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba. The representative of the African nation has signed an agreement to sell uranium to India and allow India to invest in mining. Namibia is one of the world's leading uranium producers, behind only Canada, Kazakhstan and Australia, with production accounting for 10% of global production.

Indian President Pratibha Patil also made a 10-day visit to the Central Asian country Tajikistan, a nuclear fuel supplier and also involved in the construction of nuclear power plants in India. " Tajikistan is looking for a uranium mining partner and India sees this as an opportunity, " said a senior government official in New Delhi. India has now signed agreements to import nuclear fuel with France and Russia.

Competitors

The moves came after India reached a landmark agreement with the United States last year, which led to the abolition of a 34-year ban on the purchase of civilian nuclear technology for the South country. ASIAN. India is also a rare exception when it is allowed by the Nuclear Supply Group (NSG), a 46-nation organization to control global nuclear trade. to increase power output. NSG usually only allows the sale of these items to countries that have signed agreements to ban nuclear proliferation, while India has not signed the agreement.

The first achievement that New Delhi has had since the abolition was the 200-megawatt Rajasthan Nuclear Power Plant, which was restarted in late August, using French-supplied uranium. This western Indian plant is one of 17 reactors operating in South Asia but has been closed for a year due to lack of fuel.

An Indian Foreign Ministry official said the country wanted to finalize uranium agreements, in line with New Delhi's policy, to use a combination of energy sources such as solar power, hydroelectricity and nuclear power. next to energy from oil and coal. " India's energy needs are huge, so we need to harness every source of energy. The fact that we hunt for nuclear fuel doesn't mean we give up on finding oil and energy. gas, these efforts are carried out at the same time . "

However, finding resources is a challenge for India because its Chinese rivals have surpassed India in their efforts to reach Africa, Central Asia and Myanmar. Instead of seeking a deal with uranium producing countries like India has and will do, China's strategy involves acquiring stakes in uranium mining companies. In Mongolia or Namibia, India will have to compete with many Chinese, Russian and Western companies that are eyeing this resource amid increased investment in nuclear energy by governments. The International Atomic Energy Agency predicts at least 70 more nuclear power plants will be built around the world in the next 15 years.