NEW
DELHI — National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government under
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday signed a
civil nuclear agreement with Australia allowing
the export of Australian uranium to New Delhi for use in power generation.
The
agreement, which will be the first deal signed by the NDA government, was officially marked an end to the ban imposed by Australia on selling
uranium to India.
“The signing of the
civil nuclear cooperation agreement is a historic milestone in our
relationship. It is a reflection of a new level of mutual trust and confidence
in our relationship and will open a new chapter in our bilateral cooperation.
It will support India’s efforts to fuel its growth with clean energy and
minimise its carbon footprint,” Modi said.
The
two countries has been on the line of negotiation toward a nuclear safeguards
agreement with verification mechanisms since 2012, when a previous Australian
government agreed on civil nuclear energy cooperation with India.
“The agreement will
promote cooperation in peaceful uses of nuclear energy. It recognises India’s
commitment and use of nuclear energy with a view to achieving sustainable
development and strengthening energy security. Australia can play the role of a
long-term reliable supplier of uranium to India. It provides for supply of
uranium, production of radio isotopes, nuclear safety and other areas of
cooperation,” the Mutual of Understand stated.
For the record, India
has 21 operational nuclear power reactors, across six power plants, with an
installed capacity of 5,302 Mw; these produce 29,664.75 GWh of electricity.
Seven more reactors, under construction, are expected to generate an additional
6,100 Mw, according to official statistics.
However, India is seeking a similar agreement with
Japan as it faces chronic shortages of electricity and about 65 percent of its
installed power generation capacity comes from burning fossil fuels including
oil, coal and natural gas.
