'India can declare new RAPS units under IAEA in two months'

It will take at least two months to declare two new units of Rajasthan Atomic Power station under the India Specific Safeguards Agreement of the IAEA as per the Separation Plan, Department of Atomic Energy sources said here today.  
  
"India can declare publicly about placing two of its newly completed plants of RAPS (5 and 6) under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards as per the Separation Plan only after IAEA authorises the Hyderabad based Nuclear Fuel Complex to fabricate the imported natural uranium for these plants," the sources said reacting to an US administration statement.     

At the first meeting of Working Group of the US-India Civil Nuclear Energy held from April 29 to April 30 at Idaho National Laboratory in US, the Obama administration had said that it was committed to the implementation of civil nuclear cooperation agreement with India and looks forward to the country bringing its IAEA Safeguards Agreement into force, filing its declaration of facilities pursuant to the safeguards agreement.     

Authorisation by IAEA was essential to fabricate the imported natural uranium and NFC is waiting for it, they said.      India has already received around 90 tonnes of natural uranium from France and Russia after the nuclear suppliers group gave green signal for nuclear commerce with India.

IAEA officials had come recently to NFC and "we are expecting their nod anytime", they said, adding that this is a lengthy process and it might take at least two months.     

For fabrication of imported fuel for Tarapur Atomic Power station (units 1 and 2 which Boiling water reactors using low enriched uranium) some part of NFC has been already under Campaign mode of IAEA safeguards.     

Now, the IAEA authorisation for fuel fabrication of imported natural uranium fuel will be under the umbrella of India specific Safeguards agreement (ISSA) for those civilian Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors, they said.     

"Therefore, India will be in a position to declare RAPS 5 and 6 under ISSA by July," they said.     

The US administration also said during the April working Group meeting that India should publicly announce reactor park sites for US companies, and enacting global standards of liability protection for which DAE sources said that it will be declared by the government of India.