India looks forward to opening of international civil nuke cooperation: Kakodkar

Indias Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) chief Anil Kakodkar today said that the country is looking forward to opening up of international civil nuclear cooperation.

Geneva, Sept 19 : India's Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) chief Anil Kakodkar today said that the country is looking forward to opening up of international civil nuclear cooperation.

"India is looking forward to the possibility of opening up of international civil nuclear cooperation. We expect such cooperation to be sustainable, free from interruptions and consistent with our national policy of closed fuel cycle," Kakodkar said in his address at the 51st General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Pointing out that an AEC panel has evaluated several coastal sites in the country for setting up of imported reactors, he said that India has the potential of becoming a manufacturing hub for the global nuclear industry.

"With India's large infrastructure base and relatively low manufacturing cost, there is also potential for India becoming a manufacturing hub for equipment and components for the global nuclear industry," he said.

On the bilateral civilian nuclear cooperation deal with US, Kakodkar said the deal opens up the possibility of export of reactors and services.

"India today is the only country to have technologies, design and infrastructure for small pressurised heavy water reactors with a unit capacity of 220 mw, which have a great potential for export, particularly to countries with small grids, wishing to enter nuclear power generation with relatively modest investment and infrastructure," he said.

ANI