Nuclear Deal:123 Agreement

WHY WE NEED THE DEAL

This deal can ensure India supply of Uranium for power production. India has very less uranium. We have largest amount of Thorium but technolgy to develop power from it will take some time. We have limited supply of coal which is used in thermal power plants. Hydro projects like Tehri Dam take very long time to be constructed. Gas based power is very costly as we have to import it. Solar and Wind energy are at very initial stage and costly too. India growing at speed of 8-9 percent GDP needs power, electricity.. If we feel to deliver our economy will be destroyed. And for power, this deal is only way out... which left and BJP dont want to happen



ACUTE SHORTAGE OF URANIUM

Faced with an acute shortage of uranium to run existing power stations, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd has advanced its maintenance schedule and started shutting down individual power units. Usually, these units are shut down in a staggered manner but this time they have been bunched together so that authorities get time to arrange for uranium supplies

NO URANIUM NO POWER

Over the past few weeks, as many as five units amounting to 1000 MW of the total 4000 MW were shut down on account of upkeep of plants: two units from Tarapur (Maharashtra) and one each from Kaiga (Karnataka), Kalpakkam (Tamil Nadu) and Kakrapar (Gujarat). Already, most of the plants that were running at 90-95 per cent capacity until last year are now down to 50-70 per cent reflecting the serious uranium crisis facing the country.

WE NEED DEAL BECAUSE
With the nuclear deal taking more and more time, the Indian programme has to depend on domestic uranium supplies which show few signs of matching the efficiency of reactors. In short, the choking of the indigenous programme due to fuel shortage is soon becoming a reality.


Highlights of the Deal:
* The agreement not to hinder or interfere with India's nuclear programme for military purposes.

* US will help India negotiate with the IAEA for an India-specific fuel supply agreement.

* Washington will support New Delhi develop strategic reserves of nuclear fuel to guard against future disruption of supply.

* In case of disruption, US and India will jointly convene a group of friendly supplier countries to include nations like Russia, France and the UK to pursue such measures to restore fuel supply.

* Both the countries agree to facilitate nuclear trade between themselves in the interest of respective industries and consumers.

* India and the US agree to transfer nuclear material, non-nuclear material, equipment and components.

* Any special fissionable material transferred under the agreement shall be low enriched uranium.

* Low enriched uranium can be transfered for use as fuel in reactor experiments and in reactors for conversion or fabrication.

* The ambit of the deal include research, development, design, construction, operation, maintenance and use of nuclear reactors, reactor experiments and decommissioning.

* The US will have the right to seek return of nuclear fuel and technology but it will compensate for the costs incurred as a consequence of such removal.

* India can develop strategic reserve of nuclear fuel to guard against any disruption of supply over the lifetime of its reactors.

* Agreement provides for consultations on the circumstances, including changed security environment, before termination of the nuclear cooperation.

* Provision for one-year notice period before termination of the agreement.

* The US to engage Nuclear Suppliers Group to help India obtain full access to the international fuel market, including reliable, uninterrupted and continual access to fuel supplies from firms in several nations.

* The US will have the right to seek return of nuclear fuel and technology.

* In case of return, Washington will compensate New Delhi promptly for the "fair market value thereof" and the costs incurred as a consequence of such removal.

* Both the countries to set up a Joint Committee for implementation of the civil nuclear agreement and development of further cooperation in this field.

* The agreement grants prior consent to reprocess spent fuel.

* Sensitive nuclear technology, nuclear facilities and major critical components can be transferred after amendment to the agreement.

* India will establish a new national facility dedicated to reprocessing safeguarded nuclear material under IAEA safeguards.

* Nuclear material and equipment transferred to India by the US would be subject to safeguards in perpetuity.