And Amberji
Right on cue this news in ET and other portal
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ne ... s?from=mdr
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source= ... r9Aw0DP9If
Can we trust Mark Caney and the long term deal not whithstanding American pressure, this could be one of those sources.
A long term strategy of Thorium with a mid term LWR/HALEU for securing the energy needs until the economy can rise to the 3rd and can challenge 2nd position
India Nuclear News and Discussion 4 July 2011
Re: India Nuclear News and Discussion 4 July 2011
^^
CAN ores are supposed contain greater % of U minerals.
I suppose the import will be in the form of U3O8 Yellow Cake and not possibly as ore itself, with the aim of increasing value addition in India in processing the ore. But in that case, weightage to ship from CAN will be increased.
I feel that in the current state of International politics, particularly with reference to India, POTUS is likely to object to this deal with Canada or block it, sooner or later.
Sanatanan
29/01/2026
==========
CAN ores are supposed contain greater % of U minerals.
I suppose the import will be in the form of U3O8 Yellow Cake and not possibly as ore itself, with the aim of increasing value addition in India in processing the ore. But in that case, weightage to ship from CAN will be increased.
I feel that in the current state of International politics, particularly with reference to India, POTUS is likely to object to this deal with Canada or block it, sooner or later.
Sanatanan
29/01/2026
==========
Re: India Nuclear News and Discussion 4 July 2011
^^^Thanks..
India Prepares Third Bulk Order Of 700-MW Nuclear Reactors As Private Players Enter Atomic Power Sector
FWIW: Some comments:
These articles detail a historic shift in India’s nuclear energy landscape... massive scaling of indigenous technology and the end of the state’s long-standing monopoly. Also these add a critical geopolitical layer to the "Nuclear Renaissance" we like to say, highlighting how India is securing its fuel supply chain through high-level diplomacy.
1. India’s Third Bulk Order for 700 MW Reactors
Scale- India is preparing to tender for up to 10 domestically designed 700 MW Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs). This is the third such "bulk order," a strategy designed to streamline procurement and provide a steady order book for the domestic supply chain.
2047 Vision - This move is part of an ambitious roadmap to reach 100 GW of nuclear capacity by 2047. Achieving this would require an 11-fold increase from current levels.
- The acceleration follows the Nuclear Energy Act of 2024, which transformed the sector by dismantling restrictive liability provisions and opening the door for private sector participation.
2. JSW Energy’s Entry into Nuclear Power
JSW Energy has emerged as a first mover among private utilities, announcing plans to set up its first nuclear power plant by 2030.
The company has already begun scouting for locations and expects to break ground within three to four years.
JSW views nuclear as a critical component of its green energy transition, aiming to balance its portfolio alongside solar, wind, and hydro.
3. India-Canada 10-Year Uranium Deal (Economic Times)
This report is a major diplomatic reset between India and Canada, timed with the visit of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in early 2026.
- India is set to ink a massive 10-year uranium supply deal with Canada. This is a strategic pivot to ensure fuel security for the 10-unit "bulk order" of 700 MW PHWRs mentioned in the previous article.
-The deal signals a significant thawing of relations. By choosing Canada—one of the world's largest uranium exporters—India is diversifying its supply away from heavy reliance on Central Asia (Kazakhstan).
For us (India) this long-term commitment provides the "predictability" that private players like JSW Energy need before committing billions to reactor construction.
4. Global Nuclear Renaissance & Energy Security (Discovery Alert)
This strategic analysis frames the current global shift as a "Nuclear Renaissance" driven by three factors: energy security, decarbonization, and technical evolution.
- The report argues that in the 2026 geopolitical climate, nuclear power is no longer just an environmental choice but a national security imperative.
Small Modular Reactors (SMRs): It emphasizes that 2026 is the "year of the SMR," with regulatory barriers falling in the US (as I discussed with the NPR report in other dhaga) allowing for decentralized power for heavy industry and mining.
-The report notes a massive movement of private capital into nuclear energy..(As India has also trying.)
Cont...(In the next post ... *my take * on Technical & Strategic Implications).
And ..Kakkaji wrote: ↑29 Jan 2026 07:31 JSW Energy to set up its first nuclear power plant by 2030
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/in ... aign=cppst
Let me also share from swarajyamag:SRajesh wrote: ↑29 Jan 2026 13:09 Amberji
Right on cue this news in ET and other portal
https://discoveryalert.com.au/nuclear-r ... egic-2026/
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ne ... s?from=mdr
India Prepares Third Bulk Order Of 700-MW Nuclear Reactors As Private Players Enter Atomic Power Sector
FWIW: Some comments:
These articles detail a historic shift in India’s nuclear energy landscape... massive scaling of indigenous technology and the end of the state’s long-standing monopoly. Also these add a critical geopolitical layer to the "Nuclear Renaissance" we like to say, highlighting how India is securing its fuel supply chain through high-level diplomacy.
1. India’s Third Bulk Order for 700 MW Reactors
Scale- India is preparing to tender for up to 10 domestically designed 700 MW Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs). This is the third such "bulk order," a strategy designed to streamline procurement and provide a steady order book for the domestic supply chain.
2047 Vision - This move is part of an ambitious roadmap to reach 100 GW of nuclear capacity by 2047. Achieving this would require an 11-fold increase from current levels.
- The acceleration follows the Nuclear Energy Act of 2024, which transformed the sector by dismantling restrictive liability provisions and opening the door for private sector participation.
2. JSW Energy’s Entry into Nuclear Power
JSW Energy has emerged as a first mover among private utilities, announcing plans to set up its first nuclear power plant by 2030.
The company has already begun scouting for locations and expects to break ground within three to four years.
JSW views nuclear as a critical component of its green energy transition, aiming to balance its portfolio alongside solar, wind, and hydro.
3. India-Canada 10-Year Uranium Deal (Economic Times)
This report is a major diplomatic reset between India and Canada, timed with the visit of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in early 2026.
- India is set to ink a massive 10-year uranium supply deal with Canada. This is a strategic pivot to ensure fuel security for the 10-unit "bulk order" of 700 MW PHWRs mentioned in the previous article.
-The deal signals a significant thawing of relations. By choosing Canada—one of the world's largest uranium exporters—India is diversifying its supply away from heavy reliance on Central Asia (Kazakhstan).
For us (India) this long-term commitment provides the "predictability" that private players like JSW Energy need before committing billions to reactor construction.
4. Global Nuclear Renaissance & Energy Security (Discovery Alert)
This strategic analysis frames the current global shift as a "Nuclear Renaissance" driven by three factors: energy security, decarbonization, and technical evolution.
- The report argues that in the 2026 geopolitical climate, nuclear power is no longer just an environmental choice but a national security imperative.
Small Modular Reactors (SMRs): It emphasizes that 2026 is the "year of the SMR," with regulatory barriers falling in the US (as I discussed with the NPR report in other dhaga) allowing for decentralized power for heavy industry and mining.
-The report notes a massive movement of private capital into nuclear energy..(As India has also trying.)
Cont...(In the next post ... *my take * on Technical & Strategic Implications).
Re: India Nuclear News and Discussion 4 July 2011
Cont.. Technical & Strategic Implications
From view point of nuclear physics and tracking of Indian point of Three-Stage Program,-- several points stand out:
Standardization (over Variation): By doubling down on the 700 MW PHWR design, India is choosing "industrial replication" over experimental variety for its second stage. This is a pragmatic shift to ensure that private players like JSW can manage projects with predictable technical parameters.
- The "bulk order" approach is explicitly intended to move nuclear power away from being a "boutique" government project and toward an economically mass-produced energy source.
- This provides the long-term certainty needed for Indian engineering firms (like L&T or Godrej) to invest in the specialized manufacturing facilities required for high-precision nuclear components.
Fuel (Stage 1 Support): The Canadian Uranium Deal ensures that the first stage (PHWRs) has enough fuel to run at high capacity factors without domestic supply bottlenecks.
JSW Energy’s 2030 goal shows that the Nuclear Energy Act of 2024 is working, shifting the financial burden from the taxpayer to the private sector.
The Discovery Alert report aligns with the US/NRC shifts we discussed earlier—a global move toward "Regulatory Realism" to speed up deployment.
Amber G. - It is quite a moment to witness; the "technical hurdles" are being cleared not just by better physics, but by a global realization that the current energy path is unsustainable without a robust nuclear backbone.
From view point of nuclear physics and tracking of Indian point of Three-Stage Program,-- several points stand out:
Standardization (over Variation): By doubling down on the 700 MW PHWR design, India is choosing "industrial replication" over experimental variety for its second stage. This is a pragmatic shift to ensure that private players like JSW can manage projects with predictable technical parameters.
- The "bulk order" approach is explicitly intended to move nuclear power away from being a "boutique" government project and toward an economically mass-produced energy source.
- This provides the long-term certainty needed for Indian engineering firms (like L&T or Godrej) to invest in the specialized manufacturing facilities required for high-precision nuclear components.
Fuel (Stage 1 Support): The Canadian Uranium Deal ensures that the first stage (PHWRs) has enough fuel to run at high capacity factors without domestic supply bottlenecks.
JSW Energy’s 2030 goal shows that the Nuclear Energy Act of 2024 is working, shifting the financial burden from the taxpayer to the private sector.
The Discovery Alert report aligns with the US/NRC shifts we discussed earlier—a global move toward "Regulatory Realism" to speed up deployment.
Amber G. - It is quite a moment to witness; the "technical hurdles" are being cleared not just by better physics, but by a global realization that the current energy path is unsustainable without a robust nuclear backbone.
Re: India Nuclear News and Discussion 4 July 2011
Agreement: 10-year supply period and involves a total volume of 12,000 metric tonnes of uranium concentrate (U3O8).
- 10 years (extending into the mid-2030s).
- 12,000 metric tonnes.
- Approximately 1,200 tonnes per year.
-The deal is estimated to be worth approximately $2.8 billion, based on 2026 market projections for uranium.
Supplier -The primary Canadian entity involved is Cameco Corp., which will fulfill the contract from its high-grade mines in Saskatchewan
"burn rate" of this fuel is significant:
A standard 700 MW PHWR typically requires roughly 100–125 tonnes of natural uranium per year to operate at high capacity factors.
This single deal for 1,200 tonnes per year is technically sufficient to provide the total annual fuel requirements for roughly 10 to 12 of India’s 700 MW units.
- 10 years (extending into the mid-2030s).
- 12,000 metric tonnes.
- Approximately 1,200 tonnes per year.
-The deal is estimated to be worth approximately $2.8 billion, based on 2026 market projections for uranium.
Supplier -The primary Canadian entity involved is Cameco Corp., which will fulfill the contract from its high-grade mines in Saskatchewan
"burn rate" of this fuel is significant:
A standard 700 MW PHWR typically requires roughly 100–125 tonnes of natural uranium per year to operate at high capacity factors.
This single deal for 1,200 tonnes per year is technically sufficient to provide the total annual fuel requirements for roughly 10 to 12 of India’s 700 MW units.
Re: India Nuclear News and Discussion 4 July 2011
Adding to Sanatananji -Sanatanan wrote: ↑29 Jan 2026 18:05 ^^
CAN ores are supposed contain greater % of U minerals.
I suppose the import will be in the form of U3O8 Yellow Cake and not possibly as ore itself, with the aim of increasing value addition in India in processing the ore. But in that case, weightage to ship from CAN will be increased.
I feel that in the current state of International politics, particularly with reference to India, POTUS is likely to object to this deal with Canada or block it, sooner or later.
Sanatanan
29/01/2026
==========
Yes, "CAN ores contain greater % of U minerals (sometimes exceeding 20% U content). And yes, we will be importing U3O8 Yellow cake not the ore itself. Shipping even high-grade ore involves moving 80% waste rock. And India skips the massive environmental and chemical footprint of the initial milling and leaching process. The "value addition" happens at the NFC in Hyderabad, where the U3O8 is converted into UO2 and then fabricated into the specific fuel bundles required for the PHWRs. BTW reports from NFC in Hyderabad say that they are already expanding their Zircaloy fabrication lines and be ready to handle it .. for this -- 3Q of 2026!!
(Shipping 1,200 tonnes of concentrated Yellow Cake per year is a manageable maritime logistics task). This volume of is approximately about 8-10 PHWR's fuel for the year.
Your skepticism regarding the Trump administration's reaction is well-founded. While the deal is technically between two sovereign nations (Canada and India), there are several levers the U.S. could pull to "object" or block it:
( The 2026 U.S. policy is centered on "American Energy Dominance." A $2.8 billion deal going to Canada (Cameco) rather than U.S. uranium producers (who are trying to revive mines in Wyoming and Utah) might be seen by the current POTUS as a "bad deal" for American workers.)
Somebody may correct me but from what I know, U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Agreement this deal is legal but then Trump is Trump and may have sway over the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).. or throw a tantrum and blackmail Canada/India.
Given the current administration's stunts for tariffs, any "strategic" material leaving North America that doesn't benefit Trump or his ego... we will see.
Re: India Nuclear News and Discussion 4 July 2011
GoI press releases, which are answers to questions in Parliament.
PARLIAMENT QUESTION: IMPLICATIONS OF SHANTI ACT
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage ... g=3&lang=1
PARLIAMENT QUESTION: EXPANSION PROJECTS. {NUCLEAR}
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage ... g=3&lang=1
PARLIAMENT QUESTION: STRATEGY FOR NUCLEAR WASTE MANAGEMENT
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage ... g=3&lang=1
PARLIAMENT QUESTION: NUCLEAR SAFETY AND SECURITY
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage ... g=3&lang=1
PARLIAMENT QUESTION: REGULATING PRIVATE OPERATORS IN NUCLEAR SECTOR
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage ... g=3&lang=1
PARLIAMENT QUESTION: IMPLEMENTATION CONCERNS OF SHANTI ACT
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage ... g=3&lang=1
PARLIAMENT QUESTION : SAFEGUARDS UNDER SHANTI ACT
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage ... g=3&lang=1
PARLIAMENT QUESTION: IMPLICATIONS OF SHANTI ACT
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage ... g=3&lang=1
PARLIAMENT QUESTION: EXPANSION PROJECTS. {NUCLEAR}
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage ... g=3&lang=1
PARLIAMENT QUESTION: STRATEGY FOR NUCLEAR WASTE MANAGEMENT
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage ... g=3&lang=1
PARLIAMENT QUESTION: NUCLEAR SAFETY AND SECURITY
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage ... g=3&lang=1
PARLIAMENT QUESTION: REGULATING PRIVATE OPERATORS IN NUCLEAR SECTOR
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage ... g=3&lang=1
PARLIAMENT QUESTION: IMPLEMENTATION CONCERNS OF SHANTI ACT
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage ... g=3&lang=1
PARLIAMENT QUESTION : SAFEGUARDS UNDER SHANTI ACT
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage ... g=3&lang=1
Re: India Nuclear News and Discussion 4 July 2011
Also sharing US is also in the news.. US team meets Indian cos to boost hydrocarbon, nuclear-energy-related exports 
Re: India Nuclear News and Discussion 4 July 2011
Sharing : Anil Kakodkar’s excellent piece in The Indian Express on :
Thorium-based n-power key to securing energy independence’
(Recommend to read the article in full.)
Kakodkar emphasizes what we have been talking about here - that India’s long-term energy independence depends on fully realising the thorium cycle within its three-stage nuclear program. The strategy — conceived because India has limited uranium but vast thorium reserves — remains relevant today.
Interestingly my various posts here and my line of thinking and Kakodkar’s argument are aligned at the level that actually matters (physics, timelines, and strategy) - not just rhetorically.
They coincide most clearly:
Thorium ≠ fusion. Both my posts here and Kakodkar treat thorium as known physics with slow inventory dynamics, not a speculative breakthrough. The bottleneck is fissile buildup (U-233), which I explicitly flagged, and which Kakodkar now addresses by proposing earlier thorium irradiation in PHWRs, instead of waiting passively for breeder doubling.
Don’t wait for “stage-3 perfection.” I’ve been arguing against a decades-long pause while breeders mature. Kakodkar’s push for drop-in thorium/advanced fuels in PHWRs is exactly a response to that impatience — bring thorium into the system now, even if imperfectly.
PHWR fleet as the real lever. My emphasis on IPHWR-700 fleet mode construction maps directly to his argument that scaling indigenous PHWRs is the fastest, safest way to grow capacity and fissile stock simultaneously. Imported LWRs are treated as supplementary, not central — again, identical framing.
Energy independence as resilience, not autarky. I’ve consistently said sovereignty is about avoiding choke points, not zero imports. Kakodkar says the same: thorium gives long-term insulation, not instant isolation.
Parallel tracks, not serial purity. My repeated theme — scale now, experiment in parallel, don’t wait for the perfect future reactor — is essentially what Kakodkar is now articulating publicly, with the authority of having run the program.
The one subtle difference is tone, not substance:
I’ve been more candid about the illusion of near-term independence and the hard 25–40 year horizon. Kakodkar, understandably, frames it more optimistically and policy-forward. But under the hood, the assumptions are the same.
If anything, this article is a validation that what I’ve been arguing — especially about fissile accumulation being the real clock — is not just reasonable, but now officially resurfacing in India’s nuclear discourse
Amber G. - Kakodkar basically says many points what we’ve been saying — just with institutional polish.
Thorium-based n-power key to securing energy independence’
(Recommend to read the article in full.)
Kakodkar emphasizes what we have been talking about here - that India’s long-term energy independence depends on fully realising the thorium cycle within its three-stage nuclear program. The strategy — conceived because India has limited uranium but vast thorium reserves — remains relevant today.
Interestingly my various posts here and my line of thinking and Kakodkar’s argument are aligned at the level that actually matters (physics, timelines, and strategy) - not just rhetorically.
They coincide most clearly:
Thorium ≠ fusion. Both my posts here and Kakodkar treat thorium as known physics with slow inventory dynamics, not a speculative breakthrough. The bottleneck is fissile buildup (U-233), which I explicitly flagged, and which Kakodkar now addresses by proposing earlier thorium irradiation in PHWRs, instead of waiting passively for breeder doubling.
Don’t wait for “stage-3 perfection.” I’ve been arguing against a decades-long pause while breeders mature. Kakodkar’s push for drop-in thorium/advanced fuels in PHWRs is exactly a response to that impatience — bring thorium into the system now, even if imperfectly.
PHWR fleet as the real lever. My emphasis on IPHWR-700 fleet mode construction maps directly to his argument that scaling indigenous PHWRs is the fastest, safest way to grow capacity and fissile stock simultaneously. Imported LWRs are treated as supplementary, not central — again, identical framing.
Energy independence as resilience, not autarky. I’ve consistently said sovereignty is about avoiding choke points, not zero imports. Kakodkar says the same: thorium gives long-term insulation, not instant isolation.
Parallel tracks, not serial purity. My repeated theme — scale now, experiment in parallel, don’t wait for the perfect future reactor — is essentially what Kakodkar is now articulating publicly, with the authority of having run the program.
The one subtle difference is tone, not substance:
I’ve been more candid about the illusion of near-term independence and the hard 25–40 year horizon. Kakodkar, understandably, frames it more optimistically and policy-forward. But under the hood, the assumptions are the same.
If anything, this article is a validation that what I’ve been arguing — especially about fissile accumulation being the real clock — is not just reasonable, but now officially resurfacing in India’s nuclear discourse
Amber G. - Kakodkar basically says many points what we’ve been saying — just with institutional polish.
Re: India Nuclear News and Discussion 4 July 2011
The way I read it, Dr. Kakodkar, in the Indian Express article, is strongly advocating using ANEEL fuel in Indian PHWRs immediately
Re: India Nuclear News and Discussion 4 July 2011
Kakaji - that’s almost right, but slightly overstated. Kakodkar is clearly advocating moving thorium into the system now, and he presents ANEEL-type (HALEU + Th) fuels as a credible and desirable pathway to do that using existing PHWRs. However, he stops short of saying “deploy immediately at scale.” The emphasis is on feasibility, opportunity, and urgency, not bypassing qualification, safety licensing, or fuel-cycle readiness.
IOW - He’s advocating accelerated adoption, not reckless immediacy. ANEEL is framed as a bridge — a way to start accumulating U-233 and improve fuel efficiency now, while breeders and full thorium systems mature.
Important part - Physics point (which strengthens my arguyments) - The subtext is that ANEEL doesn’t magically solve doubling time — it just starts the clock earlier by using today’s PHWR fleet. That’s the real argument he’s making.
Re: India Nuclear News and Discussion 4 July 2011
^^
Thanks for the clarification
Thanks for the clarification
Re: India Nuclear News and Discussion 4 July 2011
Budget doubles allocation for nuclear research to ₹2,410 cr
https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/ec ... 578009.ece
https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/ec ... 578009.ece
The Budget 2026 has almost doubled its support to nuclear research, providing ₹2,410.48 crore to R&D projects under various institutions under the Department of Atomic Energy, compared with ₹1,284.77 crore last year (revised estimate)--an 88% boost.
Bulk for BARC
Budget allocation to the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), part of the Department of Atomic Energy, has been given a ₹830-crore boost—for its research projects. The finance ministry has upped the budget support to BARC’s R&D projects—capital account—to ₹1,609.16 crore, compared with (the revised estimate of) ₹778.37 crore last year. The budget of 2025-26 had provided ₹880.54 crore, implying that BARC had underspent the amount earmarked for its projects.
The enhanced budgetary support to BARC could be read in the context of the research body’s remit of developing three small modular reactors—the 200 MW Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR-200), the 55 MW small modular reactor (SMR-55) and the 5 MW (thermal) high temperature gas cooled reactor for producing hydrogen.
Bonanza for IGCAR
The Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam, near Chennai, has got quite a bonanza. Support to ICGAR’s R&D projects has gone up ₹226 crore, against ₹67.86 crore earlier. Of this, the bigger chunk has been given to capital expenditure for these projects—₹183.82 crore, against ₹59.79 crore. Under ‘revenue’ too, the budget allocation has increased to ₹42.18 crore, from ₹17.07 crore.
A footnote to the ‘Notes for Demand for Grants’ of the Department of Atomic Energy says that IGCAR is “engaged in design and development of liquid sodium-cooled fast breeder reactors in the country, as a part of the Nuclear Power Programme Stage two, backed by fuel fabrication and reprocessing.”
Re: India Nuclear News and Discussion 4 July 2011
Purely out of curiosity, does Dr Kakodkar or his relatives have a financial interest in the company or associated company that produces ANEEL fuel bundles?