SME Times News Bureau | 31 Dec, 2015
The union cabinet on Wednesday ratified the India-Australian civil
nuclear cooperation agreement that came into force last month and has
further eased the supply of imported uranium for India's nuclear power
plants.
"The civil nuclear cooperation agreement with Australia
was brought into force on November 13 along with the administrative
arrangement for implementing the agreement," a cabinet communique said
after the meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"The
fuel supply arrangements with Australia will bolster energy security by
supporting the expansion of nuclear power in India," it said.
Both
countries began talks on the nuclear cooperation agreement in 2012
after Australia lifted its ban on selling uranium to India. The
agreement was signed during the then Australian Prime Minister Tony
Abbott's visit to New Delhi.
India will be the first country to
buy Australian uranium without being a signatory to the nuclear
non-proliferation treaty (NPT).
Australia ranks third in terms of production of uranium, while it does not operate nuclear power plants in the country.
India
currently has nuclear energy agreements with 11 countries and has
signed long-term agreements for supply of uranium from Kazakhstan and
Canada.
Listing some of the recent measures to boost nuclear
power generation in the country, the statement said: "Commercial
negotiations between Nuclear Power Corporation of India and
Westinghouse for construction of 6 units of the AP-1000 reactor at Mithi
Virdi, Gujarat are on course for finalization in 2016."
