AEC Chairman satisfied with negotiations with IAEA

Mumbai, Mar 13 (UNI) Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar today expressed ''satisfaction'' on the negotiations so far with the International Atomic Energy Agency (UAEA) on the nuclear deal with the United States but said some more consultations were required.

Talking to newsmen on the sidelines of signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the University Institute of Chemical Technology here for a new DAE-UCIT Centre for Chemical Engineering Education and Research here, he said ''otherwise we will not move forward''.

He said that during the negotiations, ''they had made a lot of progress''. Some consultations are still on. It will meet our requirements,'' he added.

Replying to another question, he said that the country was way ahead in the nuclear programe and ''hence others (countries) are behind us'' Dr Kakodkar and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Director S Banerji said the announcement on the fourth generation nuclear programme of the country was expected to be made later this year.

The country would be going for an advanced heavy water reactor with a bundle of plutonium and thorium as fuel. The country would go in for a test reactor of 300 MW for which the site selection process was on, they said.

Dr Kakodkar said other countries have taken up similar projects and it would take 20 years for them. ''But for us we will attain it much earlier'' he said adding that the test reactor would take ten years to build from the date of commencement of the project.

More UNI VK OBB VD BD2042