India's 3rd phase N-programme will take many years: Govt

New Delhi, Nov 21 (UNI) The Government today admitted in the Lok Sabha that starting India's third phase nuclear programme using thorium as fuel to attain energy independence would take ''a large number of years''.

''We have the R and D of using thorium as a nuclear fuel, but we cannot start the third phase unless we have large amount of plutonium, generated through fast breeder reactors in the second phase, to convert thorium into fissionable material,'' Minister of State in the PMO Prithviraj Chavan said, replying to supplementaries.

''Unfortunately, it will take a large number of years,'' he said but added that the Government would not delay even one day to start the thorium programme for the country's energy independence.

He said about 150,000 GW-yr electricity potential existed in India using domestic thorium through the route of breeder technology.

UNI