MIRA INFORM REPORT

Report Date :

15.02.2008

IDENTIFICATION DETAILS

Name :	ATOMIC ENERGY DEPARTMENT - NUCLEAR FUEL COMPLEX
Registered Office :	Prime Ministers Office – South Block, New Delhi – 110001
Country :	India

RATING & COMMENTS

MIRA’s Rating :

A

RATING		STATUS	PROPOSED CREDIT LINE
56-70	A	Financial & operational base are regarded healthy. General unfavourable factors will not cause fatal effect. Satisfactory capability for payment of interest and principal sums	Fairly Large

Status :	Good
Payment Behaviour :	Regular
Litigation :	Clear
Comments :	Subject is ultimately a Government of India undertaking and creditors can be comfortable for its exposure. Trade relations are fair. Payments are correct and as per commitments. Subject can be considered good for any normal business dealings. It can be regarded as a promising business partner in a medium to long-run.

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS

MANAGEMENT

Name of the Units		Name & Designation of the Officer nominated		Addresse of the office		Telephone Number Office     Residence
Department of Atomic Energy		Shri D.K. Sankaran Additional Secretary		Anushakti Bhavan, CSM Marg, Mumbai 400 001.		91-22- 22022492		91-22-22835555
Atomic Energy Regulatory Board		Shri N. S. Nair Administrative Officer		Niyamak Bhavan Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai - 400 094		91-22- 25552891		91-22-25572211
Atomic Minerals Directorate For Exploration & Research		Shri K. Damodaran, Chief Administrative & Accounts Officer		1-10-153/156, AMD Complex, Begumpeth, Hyderabad - 500016		91-40- 27763692		91-40-23730853
Atomic Minerals Directorate For Exploration & Research		Shri D. B. Sen Regional Director Northern Region		West Block-VII, R. K. Puram, New Delhi - 110066		91-11- 26101450		91-11-25620393
Atomic Minerals Directorate For Exploration & Research		Dr. Mir Azam Ali Regional Director Southern Region		Nagarabhavi, AMD Complex, Bangalore - 560072		91-80- 321 02 46		91-80-321 66 98
Atomic Minerals Directorate For Exploration & Research		Shri A. K. Bagchi Regional Director, Eastern Region		AMD Complex, Khasmahal, Tata Nagar Post, Singhbhum Dist, Jamshedpur		91-657- 2494592		91-657-2494168
Atomic Minerals Directorate For Exploration & Research		Shri S. Q Hoda Regional Director Northeastern Region		AMD Complex, Nongmynsong, Assam Rifles post, Shillong - 793 011		91-364-2230 156		91-364-230 093
Atomic Minerals Directorate For Exploration & Research		Shri K. R. Gupta Regional Director Eastern Region		AMD, C-31, Devnagar, Tong Road, Jaipur - - 302 018		91-141- 2701 932		91-141-2581371
Atomic Minerals Directorate For Exploration & Research		Dr. A. K. Bhattacharya Regional Director Central Region		AMD Complex, Civil lines, Nagpur - 440 001		91-712- 2532 469		91-712-2532 056
Atomic Minerals Directorate For Exploration & Research		Shri V. P. Saxena Regional Director South Eastern Region		AMD Complex, 1-10-153/156, Begumpeth, Hyderabad		91-40- 27765234		91-40-23733598
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre		Shri P.P. Madhavan Kutty Deputy Estt Officer HRD & SR&W		Central Complex, Trombay, Mumbai		91-22- 25505297 25592032 25505050 Ext. 220		91-22-26488493
Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research		Shri G. Srinivasan, Scientific Officer /G		Technical Service Section, Reactor Operation Divn. IGCAR, Kalpakkam-603 102		91-4114- 2800 58 Int.No. 6269 / 6323		91-4114-288553 Int.No. 4531
Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre		Dr. Santanu Pal Scientific Officer (H)		1/AF, Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata - 700 064		91-33- 23371230 Ext.2312		91-33-24732254
Board of Radiation of Isotope Technology		Dr. G. Sharma Scientific Officer (G) & Deputy General Manager		SPICE Irradiator , BRIT, Vashi Complex, Sector - 20, Vashi, New Mumbai - 400 705		91-22- 27664005/ 27662179/ Ext. 3400
Directorate of Construction, Service & Estate Management		Shri K. R.C.Pillai Chief Administrative Officer		V. S. Bhavan, 2^nd Floor, North Wing, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai - 400 094		91-22- 25563226 to 33 Ext. 5218 Direct No.. 556 77 97
Directorate of Purchase & Stores	Shri K. Ramani Regional Director		MRPU 6^th Floor, Shastri Bhavan, 26 Haddows Road, Chennai - 600 006		91-44 - 28276099
Directorate of Purchase & Stores	Shri R. B. Iyer Regional Director		HRPSU, NFC PO : ECIL, Hyderabad - 500 762		91-40- 271120171
Directorate of Purchase & Stores	Shri I Ramakrishnan Deputy Director - I		CPU, 1^st, Floor, VS Bhavan, Anuhakti Nagar Mumbai - 400 094		91-22- 25551643
Directorate of Purchase & Stores	Shri K. C.S. Pillai Deputy Director, CSU, BARC, Trombay		C.S.U./DPS Trombay, Mumbai - 400 085		91-22 - 2550 5255
Directorate of Purchase & Stores	Shri K. N. Kandpal Store Officer		CSU/DPS, R. No. 8, SSSF WMP , PO : Ghivali, BARC, Tarapur - 401 502		91-2525- 271079
Directorate of Purchase & Stores	Shri K. Ramani, Regional Director		MRPU, 6^th floor Shastri Bhavan, 26, Haddows Road, Chennai - 600 006.		91-44- 28276099
Directorate of Purchase & Stores	Shri R. B. Iyer Regional Director		HRPSU, NFC, PO : ECIL Hyderabad - 500 762		91-40- 27120171
Directorate of Purchase & Stores	Shri I. Ramakrishnan, Dy. Director - I		CPU, 1^st floor, V.S. Bhavan, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai - 400 094		91-22- 25551643
Directorate of Purchase & Stores	Shri K.C.S. Pillai, Dy. Director, CSU, BARC, Trombay		CSU/DPS, Trombay, Mumbai - 400 094		91-22- 25505255
Directorate of Purchase & Stores	Shri K.N. Kandpal Stores Officer		CSU/ DPS, R. No.8, SSSF, WMP, P.O. Ghivali, BARC Tarapur - 401 502		91-2525- 271079
Directorate of Purchase & Stores	Shri A. Venkatachalam Stores Officer, (HQ)		DPS, 1^st floor, V..S. Bhavan, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai - 400 094.		91-22- 25582868
Directorate of Purchase & Stores	Shri R. Sundarajan, Admn. Officer - III		DPS, 2^nd floor, V..S. Bhavan, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai - 400 094		91-22- 25583482
General Service Organisation	Shri B. Chinnappa, SO/ ’G’
Nuclear Fuel Complex	Shri P. O. Karunakaran Chief Administrative Officer		IV Floor, Aadhar Building, NFC, PO: ECIL, Hyderabad - 500 062		91-40- 27123293		91-40-27228474
Heavy Water Board	Shri C. G. Sukummaran Director (P&A)		HWB ( CO) & HWB (Thal/Hazira )		91-21433-25565491/ 2556 40 70		91-21433-27660400
Heavy Water Board	Kum. Hema Subramanian, Admn. Officer		HWP ( Kota)		91-744- 242205		91-744-233244
Heavy Water Board	Shri D. Ramesh, AO-III		HWP ( Baroda )		91-265-2272078		91-265-2771357
Heavy Water Board	Shri A.V. Ramanathan, SO/F		HWP( Tuticorin)		91-461-2355056 Extn. 437		91-461-2355489
Heavy Water Board	Shri P.R. Mohanty Production Manager		HWP ( Talcher)		91-6765-262374		91-6765-262394
Heavy Water Board	Shri R.P. Acharya, AO-III		HWP ( Manuguru)		91-87462-225634		91-87462-224478
Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited	Shri N. Durga Prasad Manager (IR)		6-N-16, VS Bhavan, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai - 400 094		91-22- 25560140/0222 Ext. 3616
Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited	Shri S. L. Banjara Manager (P&IR)		Tarapur Atomic Power Station PO : TAPP, Dist : Thane, Maharashtra - 401 504		91-2525- 2722 21 Ext. 5459
Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited	Shri Cosmos Dang Manager (P&IR)		Rajasthan Atomic Power Station Unit 1 & 2, PO : Anushakti, Via : Kota (Raj) - 323 303		91-1475- 2421 36
Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited	Shri N. K. Shrama Manager (P&IR)		Rajasthan Atomic Power Station Unit 3 & 4, PO : Anushakti, Via : Kota (Raj) - 323 303		91-1475- 2420 26
Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited	Shri K. Seshadri Manager (P&IR)		Madras Atomic Power Station Kalpakkam - 603 102 Tamil Nadu		91-4114- 280341
Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited	Shri V. K. Chandran Manager (P&IR)		Narora Atomic Power Station Plant site, PO : Bulandshahr Narora, UP - 202 3 67		91-5734- 2222 128
Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited	Shri T. V. Valsrajan Manager (P&IR)		Kaiga Generating Station PO : Kaiga , Uttar Kannada Dist, Karnataka - 581 400		91-8382- 284081
Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited	Shri Y. Purushotham Manager (P&IR)		Tarapur Atomic Power Station Unit 3 & 4, PO : TAPP, Dist : Thane - 401 504		91-2525- 2721 59/ 2721 69 Ext. 2012
Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited	Shri A. Velayudhan Manager (IR)		Kakrapar Atomic Power Station PO : Anumala, Dist : Surat Gujarat - 394 651		91-2626- 2312 33/ 34233 Ext. 4248
Indian Rare Earths Limited	Shri B Prabhakaran Nair DGM (Safety)		Minerals Division , Manavalakurichi, PO Manavalakurichi - 629 252 Kanyakumari , Tamil Nadu		91-4651- 237255 to - 37257		91-4652- 223425
Indian Rare Earths Limited	Shri P. G. Phili[p Sr. Manager(P&A)		Minrals Division, Chavara, PO : Chavara Via Kollam Kerala - 691 583		91-476- 2680701 to - 2680705		91-474-2796740
Indian Rare Earths Limited	Shri T.S. Nazrayanan Sr. Manager (P&A)		Rare Earths Division, PO : Udyogamandal Alwaye - 683 501, Kerala		91-484- 2558299 91-484-2541061 to 2541065		91-484- 2542771
Indian Rare Earths Limited	Shri Suryakant Patra Manager (Personnel)		OSCOM Project, PO : Chatrapur, Ganjam, Orissa - 761 020		91-6811- 263890 to 263895 Ext. 172		91-680- 2203941
Electronics Corporation of India Limited	Shri P. Raja Rao Deputy General Manager (P&A)		PO : ECIL, Hyderabad - 500 062		91-40- 27123902/ 2705 36 55		8.8.1996
Uranium Corporation of (I) Ltd.	K.R. Sivaraman Director(Finance)/ Chairman, Public / Staff Grievances		Jaduguda Mines, Singhbhum (E), Jharkhand - 832 102		91-657-2731049 91-657-2730353. -2730222		91-657-2730641

Tata Memorial Hospital	S.hri K. Subramanian , HRD Officer	Dr. Ernest Borges Road, Parel, Mumbai - 400 012	91-22- 24146750 ( 6 lines )
Tata Memorial Hospital	Shri S. H. Jafri, Public Relation Officer	Dr. Ernest Borges Road, Parel, Mumbai - 400 012	91-22- 24146750 ( 6 lines )
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research	Shri D. N. Wankhede Registrar	Homi Bhabha Road, Colaba, Mumbai - 400 005	91-22- 221529 71 Ext. 2577/ 255750 16
Institute of Physics	Shri P. K. Sarangi Registrar	Sachivalaya Marg, Bhubaneswar , Orissa - 751 005	2581171/ 2481869
Institute of Mathematical Science	Shri Ramakrishna Manja Chief Administrative officer	CIT Campus, Tharamani, Chennai - 600 113	91-44- 22542856 Ext. - 208 Direct No. 91-44- 22541416	91-44- 24925297
Harish Chandra Research Institute	Shri S. Kashalkar Registrar	Chatnag Road, Jhusi, Allahabad - 211 019	91-91532- 2667510/ 91-91532- 2606509
Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics	Shri V. V. Mllikarrjuna Rao Registrar	Sector 1, 1/AF, Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata - 700 064	91-337- 25345 – 49
Institute for Plasma Research	Shri J.B. Vyas, Project Administrator	Near Indira Bridge, Bhat,. Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat - 382 428	91-79-23269 91-79- 23269 018-21 /01 - 15
Atomic Energy Education Society	Shri N. K. Das, Head, Academic Unit	Central Office, Annex Building, AECS - 4, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai - 400 094.	91-22-25565049/ 25503310/ 255715 01/ 255033 28

Important Contacts in DAE Secretariat

Anushakti Bhavan, C.S.M. Marg,

Mumbai - 400 001, India

Telephone Board Lines (Country code 91 Area code: 22) :22862500, Fax: 22048476

Email : info@dae.gov.in

Name	Designation
Abraham K	Deputy Secretary (Power) (A Public Information Officer w.r.t "Right to Information Act, 2005")
Ananda Bose C.V. Dr	Joint Secretary (Research & Development) (An Appellate Authority w.r.t "Right to Information Act, 2005")
Awati A.B.	Member, Strategic Planning Group, DAE
Balasubramaniam R.	Member, Management Services Group
Bharati Chavan Smt	Director, R & D (A Public Information Officer w.r.t "Right to Information Act, 2005")
Das T.P.	Inspector General (Security)
Goverdhan Rao	Officer on Special Duty (Administration) (A Public Information Officer w.r.t "Right to Information Act, 2005")
Goel Lathika Smt	Deputy Secretary (Industries & Minerals) (A Public Information Officer w.r.t "Right to Information Act, 2005")
Grover R. B. Dr.	Director, Strategic Planning Group (SPG)
Joshi R.C.	Member (Finance)
Kakodkar Anil. Dr.	Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) & Secretary, DAE
Kumar Jitendra Dr.	Legal Adviser
Madhavan Kutty P.P.	Under Secretary (Admn) (Assistant Public Information Officer w.r.t "Right to Information Act, 2005")
Malhotra S.K.	Head Public Awareness Division
Manoharan N.	Member, Mgmt Services Group
Mendiratta Shailendar	Joint Secretary (Branch Secretariat) South Block N. Delhi
Muralidhar K.	Secretary, AEC & Head Management Services Group
Mohanan P.N..	Budget and Planning Officer, DAE
Nandhini Iyer Krishna Dr.	Joint Secretary (External Relations)
Pai N.G.	Member, Management Services Group
Pillai P.K.S.	Officer on Special Duty, Chairman's Office
Pran Konchady M	Chief Controller of Accounts, DAE
Purniah B Dr.	Member, Strategic Planning Group, DAE
Radhika Rastogi	Deputy Secretary (I&M)
Raja V.P.	Additional Secretary  (An Appellate Authority w.r.t "Right to Information Act, 2005")
Ravi Shankar	Head AVOR, Public Awareness Division, Strategic Planning Group, DAE
Revathy Iyer	Joint Secretary (I & M) (An Appellate Authority w.r.t "Right to Information Act, 2005")
Sadasivan V.R	Joint Secretary (Finance)
Sane C.M.	Deputy Secretary (Finance)
Srivastava Arun	Member, Strategic Planning Group, DAE
Subhash Chandra	Head, Planning and Analysis Division, Strategic Planning Group, DAE

Grievance Officer 

(as per the order of Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions)

Additional Secretary to Govt. of India , Dept. of Atomic Energy

Telephone :

Office: 2202 9328 Res: 24952837

Fax: 2204 8476

Office address:

Anushakti Bhavan, Chatrapathi Shivaji Maharaj Marg, Mumbai - 400 001

HISTORY

The Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC), established in the year 1971 is a major industrial unit of Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India. The complex is responsible for the supply of nuclear fuel bundles and reactor core components for all the nuclear power reactors operating in India. It is a unique facility where natural and enriched uranium fuel, zirconium alloy cladding and reactor core components are manufactured under one roof starting from the raw materials.

The Fuel

India is pursuing an indigenous three stage Nuclear Power Programme involving closed fuel cycles of Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) and Liquid Metal cooled Fast Breeder Reactors (LMFBRs) for judicious utilisation of the relatively limited reserves of uranium and vast resources of thorium. PHWRs form the first stage of the Power programme which uses zircaloy as clad & Natural uranium dioxide as fuel. In addition, India is operating two Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs) for the last 30 years. The zircaloy clad enriched uranium oxide fuel elements and assemblies for these reactors are fabricated at NFC starting from imported enriched uranium hexafluoride.

Uranium Refining and Conversion

The raw material for the production of PHWR fuel in NFC is Magnesium Di-uranate (MDU) popularly known as 'Yellow Cake'. The MDU concentrate is obtained from the uranium mine and milled at Jaduguda, Jharkhand, operated by Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UICL). The impure MDU is subjected to nitric acid dissolution followed by solvent extraction and precipitation with ammonia to get Ammonium Di-uranate (ADU). By further steps of controlled calcination and reduction, sinterable uranium dioxide powder is formed which is then compacted in the form of cylindrical pellets and sintered at high temperature to get high density uranium dioxide pellets. For BWRs, the enriched uranium hexafluoride is subjected to pyrohydrolysis and converted to ammonium di-uranate which is treated in the same way as natural ADU to obtain high density uranium dioxide pellets.

Zircaloy Production

The source mineral for the production of zirconium metal is zircon (zirconium silicate) available in the beach sand deposits of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Orissa and is supplied by the Indian Rare Earths Ltd. Zircon sand is processed through caustic fusion, dissolution, solvent extraction (to remove hafnium), precipitation and calcination steps to get zirconium oxide. Further, the pure zirconium oxide is subjected to high temperature chlorination, reactive metal reduction and vaccum distillation to get homogeneous zirconium sponge. The sponge is then briquetted with alloying ingredients and multiple vacuum arc melted to get homogeneous zircaloy ingots which are then converted into seamless tubes, sheets and bars by extrusion, pilgering and finishing operations.

Fuel Fabrication

For PHWR fuel , the cylindrical UO2 pellets are stacked and encapsulated in thin walled tubes of zirconium alloy, both ends of which are sealed by resistance welding using zircaloy end plugs. A number of such fuel pins are assembled to form a fuel bundle that can be conveniently loaded into the reactor. The fuel bundles for PHWR 220 Mwe and PHWR 500 Mwe consist of 19 and 37 fuel pins respectively. For BWRs, two types, namely 6x6 and 7x7 array fuel assemblies are fabricated.

Seamless Tubes, FBR Sub-assemblies and Special Materials

The Stainless Steel Tubes Plant and Special Tubes Plant at NFC produce a wide variety of stainless steel and titanium seamless tubes for both nuclear and non nuclear applications. NFC is supplying sub-assemblies and all stainless steel hardware including tubes, bars, sheets and springs for the operating FBTR and the forthcoming PFBR. The Special Materials Plant at NFC manufactures high value, low volume, high purity Special Materials like tantalum, niobium, gallium, indium etc., for applications in electronics, aerospace and defense sectors.

Fabrication of Critical Equipment

A notable feature at the Nuclear Fuel Complex is that, apart from in-house process development, a lot of encouragement is given to the Indian industry for fabrication of plant equipments and automated systems. Major sophisticated equipments fabricated in-house at NFC include the slurry extraction system for purification of uranium, high temperature (1750 deg C) pellet sintering furnace, vacuum annealing furnace, cold reducing mill, split spacer and bearing pad welding machines, automatic tube cleaning station, etc. In addition to this, several services like vacuum arc melted alloys production, seamless tube extrusion and finishing, production of tools, NDT services, etc., are undertaken.

Waste Management, Health and Safety

By means of an elaborately organised programme of effluent management, NFC takes scrupulous care in protecting the environment. The Health Physics Unit, the Safety Engineering Division and Environment and Pollution Control Group keeps a continuous watch to ensure that the radioactive and chemical discharges are much below the threshold limits. Rich greenery has been developed in NFC site which is being nourished with treated waste water from the production plants.

Self Reliance

The Nuclear Fuel Complex is an outstanding example of a successful translation of indigenously developed processes to production scale operations. The strong base of self-reliance in the crucial area of nuclear fuel and core components is a great asset to the country in not only supporting the nuclear power programme but also in developing a large number of allied and ancillary industries.

SCOPE

The Nuclear Fuel Complex is unique in many respects. It is the only Complex of its kind where Uranium concentrates on the one hand and Zirconium mineral on the other are processed at the same location all the way to produce finished fuel assemblies and also zirconium alloy tubular components, for supplies to the Nuclear Power Industry. The complex also symbolizes the strong emphasis on self-reliance in the Indian Nuclear Power Programme. The advanced technologies for the production of nuclear grade uranium di-oxide fuel, zirconium metal and zirconium alloy tube components and the manufacture of fuel bundles conforming to reactor specifications were developed through systematic efforts during the late 50's and the 60's.

The complex has different types of production facilities which include the Zirconium Oxide Plant for processing of Zircon to pure Zirconium oxide; the Zirconium Sponge Plant for conversion of Zirconium oxide to pure sponge metal; facilities for reclamation of zircaloy mill-scrap; the Zircaloy Fabrication Plant for producing various zirconium alloy tubings and also sheet, rod and wire products; the Uranium Oxide Plant for processing crude uranium concentrate to pure uranium di-oxide powder; the Ceramic Fuel Fabrication Plant for producing sintered Uranium oxide pellets and assembling of the fuel bundles for the PHWRs; the Enriched Uranium Oxide Plant for processing of imported enriched uranium hexafluoride to enriched uranium oxide powder; the Enriched Uranium Fuel Fabrication Plant for producing enriched UO2 pellets and the fuel assemblies for the BWR reactors; and a plant for fabrication of components and sub assemblies for Fast Breeder Reactors. A Special Materials Plant for producing a number of electronic grade high purity materials for supplies to the Electronic Industry and plants producing stainless steel seamless and other special tubes have also been set up in this complex.

The common plant facilities comprising of the Quality Control Laboratory, the Central Workshop, the Compressor and Boiler House, the Civil, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Services render strong support to the Plant operations.

While the individual plant capacities were designed to match the requirements of the Indian Nuclear Power Programme as projected in the early '70s the capacities have been under continuous review. With the experience gained in the operation of various production plants, process and equipment modifications have been incorporated to progressively improve plant performance. The stage has now been reached for substantial increase in capacities and plans have been drawn up for establishing new plants to cater to the requirements of fuel and zircaloy for the 6,000 Mwe Indian Nuclear Power Programme to be implemented in this decade.

An important feature at the Nuclear Fuel Complex, is that, apart from indigenous process development , a good portion of the plant equipment for the chemical engineering and extractive metallurgy operations has been indigenously designed and fabricated by the Indian industry. Even in the case of fabrication plants, sophisticated equipments such as Vacuum Annealing Furance, the Pilger mill, the High Temperature Hydrogen welding units have been successfully designed and fabricated in-house.

LOCATION

Located near the famous shrine of moulali at Hyderabad, NFC is spread over an area of 150 acres. It is a unique centre in the world where reactor fuel and other reactor core components are manufactured under one roof starting from ore concentrate to finished ready-to-use products. Production activity in its various plants was started in the early seventies It has around 3700 personnel.

The Complex includes a housing colony for its employees and it also provides benefits like subsidised transport, medical help, canteen and recreational facilities.

NFC - Vision & Mission

India is pursuing a three stage nuclear power programme linking the fuel cycles of Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors ( PHWR ) and Liquid Metal Cooled Fast Breeder Reactors ( LMFBR). In addition, Light Water Reactors ( LWR ) have also been included in the programme in order to achieve the target of 20,000 MWe of nuclear power by the year 2020

From the very inception of the nuclear power programme in India in the mid 1960s, great emphasis has been given towards self-reliance and indigenisation in fabrication of nuclear fuels.

Ever since its commissioning in 1971, the Nuclear Fuel Complex ( NFC ) is playing a key role in this programme and has been supplying natural and enriched Uranium Oxide fuels and Zirconium alloy core components for all the power reactors in India. Indigenous resources, knowhow, and process equipment are being extensively utilized.

NFC is perhaps the only facility in the world wherein under the same roof, both Uranium Oxide fuels and Zircaloy alloy components are fabricated starting from the basic raw materials namely Magnesium-di-uranate and Zircon sand respectively.

In addition, NFC has manufactured and supplied stainless steel core components for the Fast Breeder Reactor programme, Seamless alloy steel and Titanium tubes and other special high purity materials for both nuclear and non-nuclear applications.

NFC has a highly qualifed and committed team of Scientists, Engineers and Technicians. This resource, combined with state-of-the-art equipment and technology and total quality management objective, NFC is poised to meet challenges in the years to come.

NUCLEAR POWER STATION

The Indian pressurized heavy water reactors use natural uranium as fuel. They do the same job as coal, oil or natural gas in the generation of electricity, producing heat to convert water into steam, which drives the turbine generator to produce electricity. Unlike coal, oil or natural gas, there is no combustion of Fuel in the nuclear reactor. Heat is produced by the fission (splitting) of atomic nuclei in the reactor. Heavy water coolant transports the heat from the fuel to heat exchanges (boilers) where steam is Produced, which drives the turbine and generator.

MAKING OF NUCLEAR FUEL

Natural Uranium is mined at jaduguda in Jharkhand. It is converted into nuclear fuel assemblies in Nuclear Fuel Complex at Hyderabad. A 220 MW PHWR fuel bundle contains 15.2Kg of natural uranium dioxide. Uranium dioxide pellets, which generate heat while undergoing fission, also generate fission products. The fission products, which are radioactive should be contained and not allowedto mix with coolant water. Hence the UO2, pellets are contained in Zirconium alloy tubes with both the ends hermatically sealed.

Unlike other fuels, nuclear fuels 'burn' without any obvious change in the size, shape or appearance of the elements. They do not give rise to bulky ash or harmful fumes. In a nuclear station such a bundle produces as much electricity as 15 wagon loads of coal i.e about 380 tonnes of coal. A 220 MWe reactor unit contains 3,672 fuel bundles like this. They normally stay in the reactor for about 18 months before being replaced. Careful design and scrupulous quality control guard against failures in service.

There is no combustion in uranium fuel and a fuel bundle comes out of the reactor in the same way as it went in. However, there is one important difference. When a fuel bundle is removed fro the reactor after about 18 months of use, it contains radioactive by-products as a result of the fission process. Because of this radioactivity, the fuel bundle is handled by remote control led fuel assembly loading \ unloading machine to transfer it for storage in a water-filled pool inside the station. This machinery also feeds new fuel bundles into the reactor. The water cools the used fuel and, along with steel and concrete shielding, protects station workers from radiation. After a period of storage under water, the spent fuel bundles are taken in shielded containers to the reprocessing plant. In this plant, operated largely by remote control through heavy shielding, three main product streams are separated.

• Depleted Uranium (about 98%) is strored for recycling in fast breeder reactor.
• plutonium (about 0.4%) formed when neutrons are absorbed in atoms of non-fissionable uranium. This very valuable and can be used as fuel for fast reactors.
• Mixed long-lived radioactive fission products (about 1%) is vitrified and stored.

NUCLEAR WASTE MANAGEMENT

Nuclear power, like all industries, gives rise to wastes. Because they are in general radioactive, they are subject to strict control. In India, the basic philosophy of radioactive waste management has been to concentrate and contain as much radioactivity as possible and discharge effuents to the environment effluents at as low a concentration level as practicable. Facilities are provided at the Nuclear installations for safe disposal of radioactive waste. Solid wastes are stored at site and release of liquid and gaseous effluents are so organised that the prescribed dose limits for public are strictly adhered to

The various waste management schemes adopted are:

• All the gaseous effluents are rounded to the atmosphere through highly efficient particulate air filters for removal of particulate radioactivity. These are monitored to ensure that releases are within stipulated limits.

• Liquid waste facility provides chemical treatment followed by ion exchange treatment. The wastes are then diluted to achieve the final stipulated discharge concentration limit as necessary.

• For low level liquid water, after checking, sold for by product recovery.

• For low level solid wastes, no direct disposal into the ground is practiced. Wastes are incinerated or baled and stored. Different types of containments are used and located at sites selected on the basis of geological and geohydrological evolution. This is followed up by continuous monitoring of ground water, soil and elaborate environmental surveillance through special laboratories set up near installations.

• For long lived, highly active solid wastes generated from at various plants, a three - stage approach has been adopted. Firstly, the waste be incorporated in suitable and inert solid matrices. The conditioned waste will then be placed in canisters and kept in a retrievable store under cooling and constant surveillance. Ultimately, canisters will be stored in suitable geological media. India is one of these countries who have mastered the vitrification technology for converting radioactive waste into glass.

SAFETY OF NUCLEAR INSTALLATIONS

The Chief potential health hazard in a nuclear fuel cycle is the radiation exposure form uranium mining reactor operations, fuel reprocessing and accidents in nuclear facilities.

The Nuclear industry has, from it's beginning, given great attention to public health and safety. It carries out operations under different Acts, Regulations and codes of practice etc., based on internationally accepted safety standards. Radiation from radioactivity releases to the environment from normal operation of a nuclear plant is small compared to the natural background radiation from outer space and the material of earth's crust with which man has lived since the creation of the world. It is even less than the additional radiation that they would get from a single chest x-ray.

All reactor units and fuel fabrications plants have elaborate safety systems build into them and are therefore 'fail safe' to ultimate degree possible.

RISK

Every human activity associated with some risk. Risk is defined at the probability of occurrence of an undesirable effect as a result of an action or lack of it. They are subjected to a small risk all the time whatever they do-even if they stay at home. On an individual basis each person has learnt to accept an element of risk involved in traveling, smoking, drinking, eating etc. The following activities involve a risk of one death in a million.

• 650 kms air travel
• 100 kms car travel
• ¾ of cigarette smoking
• 1.5 mts of mountain climbing
• 20 mts of life at age 60
• Use of oral contraceptive pills for 2 1/2 weeks
• Half a bottle of wine, or

Exposure to OAO mSV of ionizing radiation, which is half a day's occupational exposure at the annual dose equivalent level or living three years in the vicinity of a nuclear power station.

Nuclear Fuel Complex in association with Heavy Water Board and in collaboration with BARC has set up NFC-HWB Training School (NHTS) with residential training school complex "GURUKUL" at NFC, Hyderabad to cater to the manpower requirements of Industrial and Mineral sector of the Department of Atomic Energy. Graduate Engineers in Chemical, Electrical, Electronics & Instrumentation, and Mechanical Engineering disciplines selected on All India basis are given one year orientation course in Nuclear Science and Engineering and also I&M activities by Specialists in the related fields. These trainee engineers after successful completion of the training are absorbed in Nuclear Fuel Complex and Heavy Water Plants and other I & M Plants.

Human Resource Development under QA Group has Training and Quality Assurance functions.

STAFF WELFARE

Various welfare facilities like dispensary, school, housing, baby crèche etc., are provided to the employees and their families. Sports and cultural activities are encouraged to inspire the talents among the employees.

Two dispensaries, one functioning at plant site and the other in the housing colony, are well equipped to take care of emergency. Patient management has been computerized and regular annual medical check-ups with special emphasis on the aspects of Industrial medicine and health are being carried out for all the employees.

The common housing colony for DAE employees has been developed close to the NFC campus and about one thousand families of NFC employees have been provided with residential accommodation. The township amenities include a community hall, market center, gymnasium and play ground space and also a dispensary.

A special mention should be made of three schools and a Junior college run by the Atomic Energy Education Society catering to around 3000 children of DAE employees. Sports and Cultural Activities are encouraged to promote creative talents among the family members of employees.

BARC  Training School (An Extension of BARC Training School)

BARC Training school, NFC, Hyderabad formerly known as (NFC-HWB Training School) is an extension of the prestigious BARC Training school, Mumbai which has been playing a vital role in providing trained engineers and scientists required by the various units of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) for the past 45 years. Indeed, the BARC School has produced many great visionaries who are steering the activities of frontier fields of technologies in the country and abroad. As the department is growing in its multitude of activities, it became necessary to extend the BARC training school with specialized training courses required for Industry & Minerals sector of DAE. Accordingly, the project of establishing a separate training school called BARC Training school, NFC at Hyderabad, was envisaged. The training school with the first batch of Trainee Scientific Officers, was inaugurated on 3.9.2001 by Dr. Anil Kakodkar, Chairman, AEC and Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India who had also been kind enough to take the very first class-room lecture to these engineers at the TS.

Graduate engineers of Mechanical Engg, Chemical Engg, Electrical Engg, and Instrumentation / Electronics Engg with certain minimum requirements, can join the BARC Training School. Admission to this school is through a process of preliminary screening based on GATE score and/or All India Entrance Test, followed by a final oral interview which is conducted at BARC. Only those candidates who are selected through interview, can join the school as Trainee Scientific Officer to undergo a rigorous one year orientation course at TS. The orientation course comprises of class room lectures, practicals and project work. The syllabi /curricula have been devised in four modules namely Nuclear Engg. Module, Core, Engg. Module, Core Electives Module and  Project work with adequate educational visits to various plants/sites of the Dept. in order to give a systematic exposure. A contrasting feature of the curricula of this school is that besides the subjects of nuclear Engg, a good number of management subjects like Project Management & Resource analysis, Construction Management, Commissioning Management, Operations Management, Maintenance Management, Safety & Environmental Engg., Quality Management etc., are also included as special topics in order to impart the required management skills to the trainee officers. Faculty members are drawn from various units of DAE like BARC, NPCIL, IGCAR, NFC, HWB, and other institutions like IIT's and Universities. During the one year training period, the trainees are required to stay in the hostel accommodation provided in the school premises. Guest Lectures by eminent speakers within the Department are also arranged periodically to enrich the Trainee Officers about the activities of the Department. The Trainee Scientific Officers after successful completion of course work are entitled for a Post Graduate Diploma by Homi Bhabha National Institute(HBNI), a deemed University, which can be further extended for obtaining M.Tech Degree on completion of a project approved by DAE. The Trainee Scientific Officers after after successful completion of the training for one year are endowed with a deep sense of responsibility, knowledge and dedication and are appointed as Scientific Officers in gazetted rank, in any of the plants of NFC, HWB, AMD, BRIT of BARC and NRG of BARC, of DAE.

A programme committee constituted by Chairman AEC, with senior executives from NFC, HWB and BARC as members, formulates the guidelines, syllabi /curriculum for different disciplines, and supervises the overall functioning of the school. The school is manned by a small & dedicated group of officers and staff drawn from NFC and HWB.

During the plant operations, various solid, liquid and gaseous effluents are invariably generated. In the design of plant and equipment and in the management of the operations, enough care has been taken to guard against any pollution of the environment. A unit of Health Physics Division of BARC stationed at NUCLEAR FUEL COMPLEX provides guidelines for occupational and environmental safety, carries out inplant radiation and industrial hygiene survey, regular monitoring of workers with respect to radiation exposure, gives guidelines on control of effluents, monitors waste releases and carries out environmental surveillance.

Health & Safety

Safety Engineering Division (SED) is formed to achieve the objectives such as safety of workers, environmental protection and prevention of accidents at various fields of NFC. This division is manned by experienced personnel drawn from different engineering disciplines viz, chemical, civil, electrical, mechanical and safety professionals qualified in the field of industrial safety. To reduce risks and eliminating hazards at the work place, SED involves right from the design stage for any process modification and issues safety clearances for installation of new machines, processes and plants, prepares emergency plans for major hazardous substances like LPG, ammonia, Chlorine and safety manuals / code of practice for several operations.

All accidents including minor and unusual occurrences are analyzed for identifying their causes and remedial measures are recommended to prevent recurrence of such accidents.

Plant level and shop floor safety committees meet once in a month to discuss safety related issues of the concerned plant.

Regular safety training programmes are organized at all levels and First Aid classes for workers are being conducted periodically.

Radiological safety is achieved based on the guidelines such as

(a) The dose equivalent to individuals shall not exceed the limits recommended and

(b) All exposure shall be kept as low as reasonably achievable ( ALARA)

Operations are always subject to Safety control by adopting investigation levels by HPU ( Health Physical Unit), activity levels and authorized levels of pollutants which are far below permissible limits.

All the personnel working in the controlled area are monitored for external exposure by Thermo Luminescent Dosimeters. Plant personnel are regularly monitored for lung 'Uranium' burden in a specially constructed facility.

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE

Nuclear fuel complex is an industrial unit under department of atomic energy. Usually in a machine oriented dynamic industrial atmosphere health care services takes a back seat. Fortunately, for us DAE has always given highest priority and importance of employee's health preservation and promotion with no exception here at NFC. This can be well envisaged in the growth and development of its health care facilities from a small dispensary / first occupational health center (OHC) within the last 30 years.

In 1980, the health center at site in persuasion of objective of occupational health "THE ADAPTATION OF THE WORK TO MAN AND TO EACH MAN TO HIS JOB", has done a commendable job by undertaking ergonomic studies in various plants in collaboration with central Labour institute, Mumbai with the following objectives.

1. To identify strenuous jobs and awkward postures during work causing musculoskeletal problems in various plants and suggest remedial measures.

2. To undertake the pulmonary function studies in some selectyed category workers. (Reference technical report submitted to management by CLI in 1981).

It is heartening to mention here that suggestions / recommendations made after the study accepted and implemented by NFC management in 1984. In 1985 also repeated pulmonary function study with same group of persons was taken up. Study was also extended to heat treatment section of tube plants. Tool room for assessment of heat stress.

Results of the following study was very encouraging and it revealed that modification as suggested after the first study had not only eliminated undue musculo skeletal strain and made work more human, but also increased productivity. Study on heat stress assessment brought out that heat stress was prevailing in the work area of heat treatment section but it was considered within permissible limits for 8 hours shift. However, certain measures were recommended to make work environment more physiologically acceptable and same was implemented. (Reference technical report submitted to NFC management by CLD.

During the 1990 similar ergonomic study was conducted to ascertain physiological fatigue among the workers and affect of static muscular work in fuel group plants. Causes for minor physiological fatigue and ergonomically incompatible jobs were identified and remedial measures were suggested and implemented. Thus, occupational health center at NFC has always applied physiological research methods to provide an ergonomically acceptable work environment.

OHC involved, institute of genetics, Osmania Unversity to survey and conduct studies on workers of radioactive plants to detect any adverse occupational effect.

OHC has include audiometric test, lung function test, regular cardiac health check up and education as its regular activity to promotion preventive health service for promotion and preservation of health. OHC works in co-ordination with health physics and safety engineering division to keep tab on the health and well being of employee's. Also regular training programmes on first aid, health education are being conducted for the Para medical staff as well as employees.

Besides, OHC is providing excellent curative health care service to it employees and their beneficiaries through well-established departmental medical services, Like Colony Health Center at DAE Colony, Moula Ali. As well as through various reputed hospitals, including super specialty services within the twin cities.

Environment Protection

The production operations at NFC do generate Solid, Liquid and gaseous effluents. In an elaborately organized programme of effluent management, NFC has taken scrupulous care in protecting the environment. The Health Physics Unit, the Safety Engineering Division and Effluent Management Division keep a continuous watch to ensure that the threshold limits for radioactive and chemical discharges are never exceeded. The nitrate values from liquid effluents are recovered in specially designed and constructed solar evaporation ponds and sold to interested customers. Solid low activity Uranium wastes in the form of raffinate cake is periodically and safely transported to UCIL, Jaduguda for reprocessing. Similarly, solid anhydrous magnesium chloride is sold to the magnesium industry for recovery of metallic magnesium.

NFC has also taken special interest in developing attractive greenery in and around plant site. A large variety of trees, many of them of the flowering class, have been planted and waster water from the production plants, after suitable treatment is being used for horticultural purposes.

The control of gaseous emissions like chlorine, nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides is achieved by means of dedicated scrubber and packed column towers with suitable absorbing media.

The exhaust carrying particulate matter is passed through a series of primary filters, electro static precipitators and absolute filters, for the removal of radioactive and other dust particles and then let out through tall stacks so that the external releases are far below the permissible limits.

Government of India

Department of Atomic Energy

Nuclear Fuel Complex

February 28, 2006

PRESS RELEASE

Shri R N Jayaraj has taken over as Chief Executive of Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC) in place of Shri R. Kalidas, who has retired on attaining the age of superannuation. Shri Jayaraj was holding the post of Deputy Chief Executive (Nuclear Fuel Fabrication) at NFC. Shri Jayaraj has vast experience in the field of enriched and natural uranium nuclear fuel fabrication which are used in Boiling Water Reactors (BWR) at Tarapur (TAPS 1&2) and all Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) in the country.

After obtaining bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering in the year 1973 from Osmania University, Shri R N Jayaraj joined 17^th batch of Training School of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, for one year re-orientation course in nuclear engineering. He then joined the Atomic Fuels Division of BARC, where he contributed in the production of metallic uranium fuel assemblies for CIRUS reactor and development of production processes for the manufacture of fuel assemblies for DHRUVA reactor.

After his transfer to Nuclear Fuel Complex, Hyderabad in the year 1978, he played a key role in establishing the assembly plant for the production of core sub-assemblies for Fast Breeder Test Reactor. He was instrumental in successfully fabricating and supplying all the core sub-assemblies for FBTR for the first time in India. In mid-80’s, he was assigned with the responsibility of production of natural and enriched uranium dioxide fuel bundles required for all the PHWRs, which he successfully executed in meeting the fuel requirements of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. While carrying out regular production of fuel bundles for PHWRs, Shri Jayaraj immensely contributed in the indigenous development of various equipment for critical process involving welding, machining centres and assembly stations. He also contemplated several process improvements in the uranium oxide pellet production and fuel bundle fabrication resulting in substantial increase in the production recoveries. Shri Jayaraj played pioneering role in making nuclear fuel for the first 540 MWe reactor at Tarapur, first of its kind in the country that was commissioned recently.

(TV Nagender)

Public Relations Officer

Atomic Energy Commission

The Indian Atomic Energy Commission was first set up in August 1948 in the then Department of Scientific Research, which was  created a few months earlier in June 1948. The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) was set up on August 3, 1954 under the direct charge of the Prime Minister through a Presidential Order. Subsequently, in accordance with a Government Resolution dated March 1, 1958, the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) was established in the Department of Atomic Energy. The then Prime Minister ( late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru) also laid a copy of this Resolution on the table of the Lok Sabha on March 24, 1958.

According to the Resolution constituting the AEC, the Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Atomic Energy is ex-officio Chairman of the Commission. The other Members of the AEC are appointed for each calendar year on the recommendation of the Chairman, AEC and after approval by the Prime Minster.

The Present composition of the Atomic Energy Commission (Gazette Notification No. AEC-1(1)07/4595 dated July 17, 2007) is given below:

Dr. Anil Kakodkar, Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy	Chairman
Shri Prithviraj Chavan, Minister of State, Prime Minister's Office	Member
Shri M.K. Narayanan, National Security Advisor	Member
Shri T.K.A. Nair,  Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister	Member
Shri K.M. Chandrasekhar, Cabinet Secretary	Member
Dr. D. Subba Rao, Finance Secretary & Secretary to Govt. of India, Dept. of Economic Affairs	Member
Shri R.C. Joshi Ex-Officio Secretary to Govt. of India	Member Finance
Prof. C.N.R. Rao, Honorary President, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific  Research, B'lore	Member
Dr. M.R. Srinivasan, Former Member(Energy) Planning Commission & ex-Chairman AEC	Member
Prof. P. Rama Rao, ISRO Dr. Brahm Prakash Distinguished Professor, Chairman BRNS & Former Chairman Atomic Energy Regulatory Board	Member
Dr. S. Banerjee, Director, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre	Member
Shri K. Muralidhar, Head Management Services Group, DAE	Secretary

Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961

the business of the Government of India transacted in the Department of Atomic Energy

DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY

(PARMANU OORJA VIBHAG)

1. All matters relating to :-

i. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC);

ii. Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB)

2. All matters relating to Atomic Energy in India, e.g.:

i. administration of the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 (33 of 1962), including control of radioactive substances and regulation of their possession, use, disposal and transport;

ii. research, including fundamental research in matters connected with atomic energy and the development of its uses in agriculture, biology, industry and medicine; and

iii. atomic minerals-Survey, prospecting, drilling, development, mining, acquisition and control;

iv. all activities connected with the development and use of atomic energy, including -

a. projects and industries concerned with substances and minerals prescribed under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 (33 of 1962); their products and by-products;

b. generation of electricity through the use of atomic energy;

c. design, construction and operation of research and power reactors; and

d. establishment and operation of facilities and plants, including diversification -

1. for the production of materials and equipment required for research in and the use of atomic energy and for research in the nuclear sciences; and

2. for the separation of isotopes, including plants adaptable to the separation of isotopes as by-product and the production of heavy water as a main or subsidiary product.

v. supervision of State undertakings concerned with prescribed or radio-active substances, including -

a. Indian Rare Earths Limited (IREL).

b. Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL).

c. Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL).

d. Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL)

e. National Fertilizers Limited, in so far as production of heavy water is concerned.

3. Financial assistance for furtherance of studies in nuclear sciences and for building up adequately

i. trained manpower for the development of the atomic energy programmes, including -

ii. asistance to institutions and associations engaged in scientific work and to Universities for advanced study and research in nuclear sciences;

iii. grant of scholarships in scientific subjects to students in Universities and other educational institutions and other forms of financial aid to individuals including those going abroad for studies in nuclear sciences; and

iv. assistance to hospitals and research centres for furtherance of nuclear medicine and research in radiation oncology.

4. International relations in matters connected with atomic energy and nuclear science including -

i. matters relating to atomic energy and nuclear sciences in the United Nations specialised Agencies, the International Atomic Energy Agency, other International Scientific Organisations including the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) and relations with other countries; and

ii. correspondence with institutions, Universities, etc. abroad in connection with foreign fellowships and the training of Indian Scientists.

5. All matters relating to personnel under the control of the Department of Atomic Energy (Parmanu Oorja Vibhag).

6. Execution of works and purchase of land debitable to the capital budget of the Department of Atomic Energy (Parmanu Oorja Vibhag).

7. Procurement of stores and equipment required by the Department of Atomic Energy (Parmanu Oorja Vibhag).

8. Financial sanctions relating to the Department of Atomic Energy (Parmanu Oorja Vibhag).

9. All matters concerned with the advancement of higher mathematics, including –

i. matters relating to the promotion and coordination of advanced study and research;

ii. international relations in higher mathematics, the Indian National Committee for Mathematics and the International Mathematics Union;

iii. grants to Universities, institutions and associations engaged in the advancement of higher mathematics; and

iv. grant of scholarships and other forms of financial aid for advanced study and research;

10. All matters relating to the aided institutions under the administrative control of the Department of Atomic Energy(Parmanu Oorja Vibhag), e.g.:

i. The Tata Institute of Funadamental Research, Mumbai.

ii. The Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai.

iii. The Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Calcutta.

iv. The Atomic Energy Education Society, Mumbai.

v. The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai.

vi. The Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar.

vii. The Mehta Research Institute of Mathematics and Mathematical Physics, Allahabad.

viii. The Institute for Plasma Research, Gandhinagar.

11. All matters relating to other grant-in-aid institutions concerning activities funded by the Department of Atomic Energy (Parmanu Oorja Vibhag).

FOUNDER

Homi Jehangir Bhabha was the visionary who conceptulised the Indian Nuclear Programme and along with a handful of Scientists initiated the nuclear science research in India in March, 1944. He envisaged the vast potential of nuclear energy and its possible successful utilization in the field of power generation and allied areas. Dr. Bhabha started working with the goal of achieving self reliance in the fields of nuclear science and engineering and today’s Department of Atomic Energy which is a consortium of different and diversified fields of science and engineering is the final outcome of the farsighted planning of Dr. Bhabha. Thus, in his own words “When Nuclear Energy has been successfully applied for power production in, say a couple of decades from now, India will not have to look abroad for its experts but will find them ready at hand”.

Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha, realizing the immense potential of nuclear energy as a viable alternative source for electric power generation, launched the Indian Nuclear Programme in March 1944. It was the farsightedness of Dr. Bhabha to start nuclear research in India at a time following the discovery of nuclear fission phenomena by Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassman and soon after Enrico Fermi etal from Chicago reporting the feasibility of sustained nuclear chain reactions. At that time very little information was available to the outside world about nuclear fission and sustained chain reactions and nobody was willing to subscribe to the concept of power generation based on nuclear energy. 

Dr. Bhabha was an astute scientist and committed engineer, a dedicated architect, a meticulous planner and a perfect executive. An ardent follower of fine arts and music, he was a philanthropist too. The path to perfection paved by Dr. Bhabha has taken the Indian Atomic Energy Programme to one amongst the best in the world. The family members of the Department of Atomic Energy and also the whole country salute the great scientist of our country- Dr. Homi Bhabha and rededicate ourselves in the pursuit of perfection set forth by him through the coming years.

HERITAGE

Dr. Bhabha approached Sir Dorabji Tata Trust for starting nuclear research in India leading to the establishment of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai, which was inaugurated on December 19, 1945. Atomic Energy Act was passed on April 15,1948 and Atomic Energy Commission was constituted on August 10, 1948 in order to intensify the studies related to the exploitation of nuclear energy for the benefit of the nation. Exhaustive survey for rare minerals and Uranium deposits started by Atomic Minerals Division and on August 18, 1959 Indian Rare Earths Ltd was set up for the chemical processing and recovery of rare earth compounds and Thorium-Uranium deposits. Atomic Energy Commission started Atomic Energy Establishment, Trombay on January 3, 1954. Atomic Energy Commission functioning under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Scientific Research was brought under the Department of Atomic Energy from August 3, 1954 with Dr. Homi Bhabha as the Secretary to the Government of India for the department. Department of Atomic Energy functioned under the direct control of the Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and continued to remain under the direct charge of successive prime ministers since then. All scientists and engineers engaged in the fields of reactor design and development, instrumentation, metallurgy and material science etc were transferred along with their respective programme from TIFR to AEET to become an integral part of the newly created AEET. TIFR has become an institution fully dedicated to carry out fundamental research in Nuclear Science. 

The Atomic Energy Establishment, Trombay (AEET) was formally dedicated to the nation by the then Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru on January 20, 1957. Later, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi renamed AEET as Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC) on January 12, 1967 as a fitting tribute to Dr. Homi Bhabha who died in an air crash on January 24, 1966. Atomic Energy Establishment, Trombay has already made its impressions in the world of science as one of the unique nuclear research institution where high quality research and development is taking place in the areas of nuclear reactor design and installation, fuel fabrication, chemical processing of depleted fuel and also acquired sufficient expertise in the development of radioisotope application techniques in medicine, agriculture and industries. Basic and advanced research investigations were in full progress in nuclear physics, spectroscopy, solid state physics, chemical and life sciences, reactor engineering, instrumentation, radiation safety and nuclear medicine etc. 

In a nutshell, BARC provides a broad spectrum of scientific and technological activities extending from basic laboratory bench scale research to scaled up plant level operations and its functional domain covers all walks of science and technology – stretching from classical school of thoughts to the emerging novel fields of interest. The core mandate of this institution is to provide Research and Development support required to sustain one of the major peaceful applications of nuclear energy viz. power generation. This includes conceptualization of the programme, finalisation of the design of the reactor and the peripheral components, preparation of computer generated working models and their evaluation studies under simulated reactor running conditions, identification, selection and testing of materials and components for their risk analysis under extreme conditions of reactor operating environments, development and testing of new reactor fuel materials etc. Besides, BARC also extends its expertise to chemical processing of spent fuels, safe disposal of nuclear waste besides developing new isotope application techniques in industries, medicine, agriculture etc. Advanced frontline research in physical, chemical and biological sciences are intensely being pursued in BARC in order to give the nation a cutting edge in the fields of science and technology at the international levels. Thus, BARC is a multifaceted institution wherein the in house research findings were further translated into the development stage and finally through successful demonstration phase is taken for deployment in the respective fields. Advanced equipments and instruments, well set laboratories, vibrant ambience and availability of expertise from all fields of science and engineering are the unique features of BARC committed in taking the nation to the new horizons of knowledge and development.

DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY: MILESTONES

March 12, 1944	Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha writes to Sir Dorabji Tata Trust for starting Nuclear Research in India.
December 19, 1945	Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai is inaugurated.
April 15, 1948	Atomic Energy Act is passed
August 10, 1948	The Atomic Energy Commission is constituted.
July 29, 1949	Rare Minerals Survey Unit is set up. Later, this unit becomes Atomic Minerals Division. It is renamed as Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research on July 29, 1998.
August 18, 1950	Indian Rare Earths Limited is set up for recovering minerals, processing of rare earths compounds and Thorium - Uranium concentrates.
April, 1951	Uranium Deposit at Jaduguda is discovered by AMD. Drilling operations commence in December 1951.
December 24, 1952	Rare Earths Plant of IRE at Alwaye, Kerala, is dedicated to the nation and production of Rare Earths & Thorium - Uranium concentrate commences.
August 03, 1954	Department of Atomic Energy is created.
August 01, 1955	Thorium Plant at Trombay goes into production.
August 04, 1956	APSARA - first research reactor in Asia, attains criticality at Trombay, Mumbai.
January 20, 1957	Atomic Energy Establishment, Trombay (AEET) is inaugurated
August 19, 1957	Atomic Energy Establishment Training School starts functioning.
January 30, 1959	Uranium Metal Plant at Trombay produces Uranium.
February 19, 1960	First lot of 10 Fuel Elements for CIRUS reactor is fabricated at Trombay
July 10, 1960	CIRUS – the 40 MWt research reactor attains criticality.
January 14, 1961	Research Reactor ZERLINA attains criticality. (It is decommissioned in 1983)
January 22, 1965	Plutonium Plant is inaugurated.
January 22, 1967	Atomic Energy Establishment Trombay (AEET) is renamed as Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.
April 11, 1967	Electronics Corporation of India Limited is set up at Hyderabad for producing electronic systems, instruments and components.
June 1, 1967	Formation of Power Projects Engineering Division, Mumbai, which was subsequently converted to Nuclear Power Board on August 17, 1984. It is renamed as Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited on September 17, 1987.
October 04, 1967	Uranium Corporation of India Limited is established with headquarters at Jaduguda for mining and milling of uranium ores.
May 1968	Uranium Mill at Jaduguda, with a capacity of 1,000 TPD, commences commercial production of Magnesium diuranate (yellow cake). Jaduguda Mine Shaft is commissioned in November 1968.
December 31, 1968	Nuclear Fuel Complex is set up at Hyderabad.
March 12, 1969	Reactor Research Centre is started at Kalpakkam. Renamed as Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research on December 18, 1985.
May 01, 1969	Heavy Water Projects is constituted. Later, it becomes Heavy Water Board.
October 02, 1969	Tarapur Atomic Power Station starts commercial operation.
September 06, 1970	Uranium-233 is Separated from irradiated thorium
February 18, 1971	Plutonium fuel for Research Reactor PURNIMA-I is fabricated at Trombay
February 3, 1972	Formation of DAE Safety Review Committee
May 18, 1972	Research Reactor PURNIMA-I attains criticality.
November 30, 1972	Unit-1 of Rajasthan Atomic Power Station at Kota begins commercial operation. Unit II goes commercial on November 1, 1980.
1974	By-product Recovery Plant of UCIL at Jaduguda is commissioned.
May 18, 1974	Peaceful underground Nuclear Experiment is conducted at Pokhran, Rajasthan.
March 1975	Commercial production of Uranium Mineral Concentrates from Copper plant tailings at Surda, Hindustan Copper Limited commenced.
May 1975	Commercial production of by-products - Molybdenum and Copper concentrates starts
September 1975	Surda Uranium Recovery Plant of UCIL is commissioned.
June 16, 1977	Variable Energy Cyclotron becomes operational at Kolkata.
November 18, 1979	Plutonium-Uranium mixed oxide fuel is fabricated at Trombay
November 19, 1982	Power Reactor Fuel Reprocessing Plant at Tarapur is commissioned.
1983	FBTR attains first criticality
February, 1983	Rakha Uranium Recovery Plant of UCIL is commissioned.
November 15, 1983	Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, is constituted.
January 27, 1984	Madras Atomic Power Station - Unit I at Kalpakkam starts commercial operation. Unit II goes commercial on March 21, 1986.
February 19, 1984	Centre for Advanced Technology at Indore( Madhya Pradesh) is inaugurated.
March 08, 1984	Plutonium - Uranium mixed Carbide Fuel for fast breeder test reactor is fabricated in BARC.
May 10, 1984	Research Reactor PURNIMA-II, a Uranium-233 fuelled homogenous reactor, attains criticality.
March 05, 1985	Waste Immobilisation Plant (WIP) at Tarapur is commissioned.
August 08, 1985	Research Reactor DHRUVA (100 MWt) attains criticality. It attains full power on January 17, 1988.
October 18, 1985	Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) at Kalpakkam attains criticality.
1986	Dredge Mining, Mineral Separation and Synthetic Rutile Plant at OSCOM, Orissa is commissioned.
December 1986	Mosabani Uranium Recovery Plant commissioned.
December 30, 1988	12 MV Pelletron Accelerator is inaugurated.
January 3, 1989	Regional Radiation Medicine Centre (RRMC) is inaugurated at Kolkata.
March 12, 1989	Narora Atomic Power Station Unit I attains criticality. Its Unit II attains criticality on October 24, 1991
November 09, 1990	Research Reactor PURNIMA-III, a Uranium-233 fuelled reactor, attains criticality
May 16, 1991	First ECR heavy ion source of the country becomes operational at the Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre.
September 03, 1992	Kakrapar Atomic Power Station - Unit I attains criticality. Its Unit II attains criticality on January 08, 1995
August 12, 1993	Technology Offer Centre is inaugurated at DAE, Mumbai.
January 1995	Narwapahar mine is inaugurated.
March 27, 1996	Kalpakkam Reprocessing Plant (KARP) is cold commissioned. It is dedicated to nation on September 15, 1998.
October 20, 1996	Kalpakkam Mini Reactor (KAMINI), with Uranium-233 fuel, attains criticality at Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam, Tamilnadu. On September 17, 1997 Research Reactor KAMINI attains full power level of 30 kWt.
March. 31, 1997	Rajasthan Atomic Power Station Unit-1 is recommissioned after repair of OPRD valve.
December 1997	Jadugudda Mill is expanded to treat 2,090 tonnes ore per day. PRYNCE (95% Neodymium Oxide) Plant is commissioned at Rare Earths Division.
May 11 & 13, 1998	Five underground nuclear tests are conducted at Pokhran Range, Rajasthan.
May 27, 1998	Rajasthan Atomic Power Station Unit-2 is recommissioned after enmasse replacement of coolant channels.
August 10, 1998	The 500 KeV industrial electron accelerator developed indigenously by the BARC is commissioned for its first phase of operation.
April 22, 1999	450 MeV Synchrotron Radiation Source Indus-1 achieves electron beam current of 113 milli-ampere superceding the design value of 100 milli-ampere.
July 1999	Solid Storage and surveillance Facility at Tarapur is commissioned.
September 24, 1999	Unit-2 of Kaiga Atomic Power Station attains criticality. It is synchronised to the grid on December 02, 1999, and becomes commercial on March 16, 2000.
October 01, 1999	India’s first Nuclear Power Plant Simulator is upgraded.
December 24, 1999	Unit-3 of Rajasthan Atomic Power Station attains criticality. It is synchronised to the grid on March 10, 2000, and becomes commercial on June 1, 2000.
January 1, 2000	BRIT's plant for radiation processing of spices commissioned at Vashi, Navi Mumbai.
2000	Boron Enrichment Plant is commissioned at IGCAR, Kalpakkam.
March 8, 2000	Tarapur Atomic Power Project - 3&4 rises up.
March 10, 2000	Unit-3 of Rajasthan Atomic Power Station synchronised to the grid.
April 21, 2000	Folded Tandem Ion Accelerator (FOTIA) delivers first beam on target.
September 26, 2000	Unit-1 of Kaiga Atomic Power station attains criticality. It is synchronised to grid on October 12, 2000 and goes commercial on November 16, 2000.
November 03, 2000	Unit-4 of Rajasthan Atomic Power station attains criticality. It is synchronised to grid on November 17, 2000 and goes commercial on December 23, 2000.
March 18, 2001	Units 3 & 4 of Rajasthan Atomic Power Station dedicated to the nation.
February 12, 2002	India signs the contract with the Russian Federation for the Nuclear Power Station at Kudankulam, Tamil Nadu.
March 30, 2002 & May 10,  2002	First pours of concrete respectively of Unit-3 and Unit-4 of Kaiga Atomic Power Project 3 & 4.
March 31, 2002	First pour of concrete of Unit 1&2 of Kudankulam Atomic Power Project.
September 18, 2002	First pour of concrete of Unit-5 of Rajasthan Atomic Power Project 5 & 6.
October 31, 2002	Waste Immobilisation Plant and Uranium-Thorium Separation Plant (both at Trombay), and the Radiation Processing Plant Krushak at Lasalgaon, district Nasik, Maharashtra, are dedicated to the Nation.
November 2002	UCIL's Turumdih Mine, Jharkhand is inaugurated and Technology Demonstration Pilot Plant becomes operational at Jaduguda.
2003	1.7 MeV Tandetron Accelerator and the demo facility Lead Mini Cell (LMC), for reprocessing of FBTR carbide fuel on lab scale, are commissioned at IGCAR.
October 22, 2003	Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI) is set up at kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu.

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

Atomic Minerals Directorate (AMD) for Exploration and Research is the oldest unit of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). Under the Atomic Energy Act, passed by the Govt. of India on April 15, 1948 and followed by the creation of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) on August 10, 1948, AMD was also created on July 29, 1949 as ‘Rare Minerals Survey Unit’ with headquarter in New Delhi. It was renamed first as ‘Raw Materials Division’ and then as ‘Atomic Minerals Division’ in 1958. Its headquarter was later shifted to Hyderabad during 1974. In keeping with its growing stature as one of the country’s leading scientific organizations involved in multi-disciplinary and multi-faceted exploration-cum-analytical-cum research activities, the ‘Division’ was rechristened as a ‘Directorate’ on July 29, 1998 on the eve of its stepping into the ‘Golden Jubilee’ Year.

AMD commenced its operations on October 3, 1950 with a nucleus of 17 geoscientists which has grown to 2777 personnel (in all categories) on date. The principal mandate of the unit was to carry out geological exploration and discover mineral deposits required for Atomic Energy power programme of the country. Professor D.N. Wadia, FRS, a doyen among Indian geologists guided the exploration programme of the Directorate till 1970 as 'Geological Adviser' of the department. The unit saw Dr. P.K. Ghosh as its first Director appointed in 1957. Directors who have successfully steered the Directorate to its present glory are as follows

1. Dr. P. K. Ghosh (1957-60)

2. Mr. K.K.Dar (1970-74)

3. Dr. G.R. Udas (1974-81)

4. Mr. A.V. Phadke (1981-85)

5. Mr. T.M. Mahadevan (1985-87)

6. Mr. A.C. Saraswat (1987-90)

7. Mr. Ravi Kaul (1990-92)

8. Dr. S.Viswanathan (1992-93)

9. Dr. K.K. Dwivedy (1993-98)

10. Mr. D.C. Banerjee (1998-2001)

11. Mr. R.K. Gupta (2001-2003)

12. Mr. R.M.Sinha (2003-2006)

13. Dr. Anjan Chaki (2006-continuing)

With the shifting of headquarters from Delhi to Hyderabad in 1974, activities of the directorate were spread out by opening new regional centers at Shillong (North Eastern Region), Hyderabad (South Central Region) and Jaipur (Western Region) in addition to the four already existing centres at New Delhi (Northern Region), Bangalore (Southern Region), Calcutta/ Jamshedpur (Eastern Region) and Nagpur (Central Region), and equipping various laboratories at headquarters with the state of the art instruments.

Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre is a premier R & D unit of the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India. This Centre is dedicated to carry out forefront research and development in the fields of Accelerator Science & Technology, Nuclear Science (Theoretical and Experimental), Material Science, Computer Science & Technology and in other relevant areas.

About IGCAR

IGCAR was  established in the year 1971, under the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India.  

The centre is engaged in broad based multidisciplinary programme of scientific research and advanced  engineering directed  towards the development of  Fast Breeder Reactor technology.

Fast Breeder Test Reactor based on unique mixed Plutonium Uranium Carbide fuel, First of its kind in the world and KAMINI Reactor, the only operating Reactor in the World using U233 fuel are successfully operated.

The design of 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor is completed and the construction is in progress.

Nuclear Safety and Regulation

The regulatory and safety systems ensure that equipment at DAE's nuclear facilities are designed to operate safely and even in the unlikely event of any failure or accident, mechanisms like plant and site emergency response plans are in place to ensure that the public is not affected in any manner. In addition, detailed plans, which involve the local public authorities, are also in place to respond if the consequences were to spill into the public domain. The emergency response system is also in a position to handle any other radiation emergency in the public domain that may occur at locations, which do not even have any DAE facility.

Regulatory and safety functions of Atomic Energy in India are carried out by an independent body, the Atomic Energy Regulatory board.

The Atomic Energy Regulatory board was constituted on November 15, 1983 by the President of India by exercising the powers conferred by Section 27 of the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 (33 of 1962) to carry out certain regulatory and safety functions under the Act. The regulatory authority of AERB is derived from the rules and notifications promulgated under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and the Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986. The mission of the Board is to ensure that the use of ionizing radiation and nuclear energy in India does not cause undue risk to health and the environment.

CMT REPORT (Corruption, Money Laundering & Terrorism]

The Public Notice information has been collected from various sources including but not limited to: The Courts, India Prisons Service, Interpol, etc.

1] INFORMATION ON DESIGNATED PARTY

No exist designating subject or any of its beneficial owners, controlling shareholders or senior officers as terrorist or terrorist organization or whom notice had been received that all financial transactions involving their assets have been blocked or convicted, found guilty or against whom a judgement or order had been entered in a proceedings for violating money-laundering, anti-corruption or bribery or international economic or anti-terrorism sanction laws or whose assets were seized, blocked, frozen or ordered forfeited for violation of money laundering or international anti-terrorism laws.

2] Court Declaration :

No records exist to suggest that subject is or was the subject of any formal or informal allegations, prosecutions or other official proceeding for making any prohibited payments or other improper payments to government officials for engaging in prohibited transactions or with designated parties.

3] Asset Declaration :

No records exist to suggest that the property or assets of the subject are derived from criminal conduct or a prohibited transaction.

4] Record on Financial Crime :

Charges or conviction registered against subject: None

5] Records on Violation of Anti-Corruption Laws :

Charges or investigation registered against subject: None

6] Records on Int’l Anti-Money Laundering Laws/Standards :

Charges or investigation registered against subject: None

7] Criminal Records

No available information exist that suggest that subject or any of its principals have been formally charged or convicted by a competent governmental authority for any financial crime or under any formal investigation by a competent government authority for any violation of anti-corruption laws or international anti-money laundering laws or standard.

8] Affiliation with Government :

No record exists to suggest that any director or indirect owners, controlling shareholders, director, officer or employee of the company is a government official or a family member or close business associate of a Government official.

9] Compensation Package :

Our market survey revealed that the amount of compensation sought by the subject is fair and reasonable and comparable to compensation paid to others for similar services.

10] Press Report :

No press reports / filings exists on the subject.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

MIRA INFORM as part of its Due Diligence do provide comments on Corporate Governance to identify management and governance. These factors often have been predictive and in some cases have created vulnerabilities to credit deterioration.

Our Governance Assessment focuses principally on the interactions between a company’s management, its Board of Directors, Shareholders and other financial stakeholders.

CONTRAVENTION

Subject is not known to have contravened any existing local laws, regulations or policies that prohibit, restrict or otherwise affect the terms and conditions that could be included in the agreement with the subject.

FOREIGN EXCHANGE RATES

Currency	Unit	Indian Rupees
US Dollar	1	Rs.39.65
UK Pound	1	Rs.77.84
Euro	1	Rs.57.78

RATING EXPLANATIONS

RATING		STATUS	PROPOSED CREDIT LINE
>86	Aaa	Possesses an extremely sound financial base with the strongest capability for timely payment of interest and principal sums	Unlimited
71-85	Aa	Possesses adequate working capital. No caution needed for credit transaction. It has above average (strong) capability for payment of interest and principal sums	Large
56-70	A	Financial & operational base are regarded healthy. General unfavourable factors will not cause fatal effect. Satisfactory capability for payment of interest and principal sums	Fairly Large
41-55	Ba	Overall operation is considered normal. Capable to meet normal commitments.	Satisfactory
26-40	B	Unfavourable & favourable factors carry similar weight in credit consideration. Capability to overcome financial difficulties seems comparatively below average.	Small
11-25	Ca	Adverse factors are apparent. Repayment of interest and principal sums in default or expected to be in default upon maturity	Limited with full security
<10	C	Absolute credit risk exists. Caution needed to be exercised	Credit not recommended
NR		In view of the lack of information, we have no basis upon which to recommend credit dealings	No Rating

PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL : This information is provided to you at your request, you having employed MIPL for such purpose. You will use the information as aid only in determining the propriety of giving credit and generally as an aid to your business and for no other purpose. You will hold the information in strict confidence, and shall not reveal it or make it known to the subject persons, firms or corporations or to any other. MIPL does not warrant the correctness of the information as you hold it free of any liability whatsoever. You will be liable to and indemnify MIPL for any loss, damage or expense, occasioned by your breach or non observance of any one, or more of these conditions