India's Three Stage Nuclear Power Programme - Linkages With The Indo-US Nuclear Deal

Linkages With The Indo-US Nuclear Deal

Uranium supply imbalance in the 2000s

In spite of the overall adequacy of its uranium reserves, Indian power plants could not get the necessary amount of uranium to function at full capacity in the late 2000s, primarily due to inadequate investments made in the uranium mining and milling capacity resulting from fiscal austerity in the early 1990s. One study done for U.S. Congress in that time period reaches the conclusion, “India’s current fuel situation means that New Delhi cannot produce sufficient fuel for both its nuclear weapons program and its projected civil nuclear program.” An independent study arrives at roughly the same conclusion, “India’s current uranium production of less than 300 tons/year can meet at most, two-thirds of its needs for civil and military nuclear fuel.” This uranium shortfall during the deal negotiations was understood by both players to be a temporary aberration that was poised to be resolved with requisite investments in India’s uranium milling infrastructure.

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