Production begins in AP’s first uranium mine ‘Thummalapalli’

Production commenced in the first uranium mining and processing plant of Andhra Pradesh, at Thummalapalli in YSR District.
About the new plant:

• Capacity of mining and processing: 3,000 tonnes uranium a day.
• Reserves: With over 48 million tonnes of reserves, the Thummalapalli mine has been estimated one of the world’s largest uranium mines.
• Cost: The new plant is built at a cost of over Rs 1,100 Crore.

Built on 900 hectares of land, this new plant will furnish a major boost India’s much needed uranium fuel for nuclear programme.

The Tummalapalle Mine is a uranium mine in Tumalapalli village located in Kadapa of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Results from a research conducted by the Atomic Energy Commission of India in 2011 made the analysts conclude that this mine might have one of the largest reserves of uranium in the world. This finding substantially increased India’s capability of producing energy from nuclear plants. As of 2011, India was producing about 3% of its energy from nuclear plants. These findings suggest that this output can be increased to more than 30% by 2050. This domestic uranium find would not only boost India’s nuclear energy plans but also help to reduce costs by switching from expensive sources of power like coal.

Month: Current Affairs - April, 2012