Closure of operations at two uranium mines in Jharkhand since September this year has so far led to a loss of over 19 tonnes of nuclear fuel, having a potential to produce about 860 million units of electricity, a senior DAE official said today.

The uranium ore extraction from Jaduguda and Bhatin mines, operated by the Uranium Corporation of India (UCIL), a PSU under the
Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), has been suspended since September this year.

"The temporary shut down of the two mines led to a loss of production of additional mined uranium equivalent to about 19.1 tonnes, having the potential to produce about 860 million (86 crore) units of electricity," the official said.

At a time when India is trying to ramp up its uranium import, its own domestic production of the yellow cake has declined by 10-15 per cent after operations in the country's oldest and richest uranium mines in Jaduguda and Bhatin were shut down.

Jaduguda mine, one of the deepest underground mines in the country, had run uninterrupted since 1968. It has a depth of nearly 3000 feet and had been daily producing 700 tonnes of ore. UCIL was mining 150 tonnes of ore from Bhatin daily.

DAE sources said it has taken steps to increase the production from other mines to maintain the supply and demand, but the low quality of ore from other mines has led to increase in the production cost.

The mines at Mouldih, Narwapahar, Turmdih, Bandhurang and Bagjata, all in Jharkhand, are still operational, the sources said.

The government has often cited "mismatch between demand and supply of domestic uranium" as the reason for under- functioning of the nuclear power reactors. Of the 20 reactors, 10 nuclear power stations use domestic fuel and generate 2840 MW of electricity.

Apart from importing uranium from Kazakhstan and Russia, India is in the process of getting the ore from Australia.

The Jharkhand government stopped mining of uranium from Jaduguda and Bhatin since September 6, this year as UCIL's lease got over. It had been renewed twice before.

UCIL had applied for renewal of lease in 2006 and the lease expired in 2007. Since then the mines were being operated as a deemed lease. This year, the Jharkhand government said that the concept of deemed lease was no longer applicable as private players may misuse it and a closure notice was given to UCIL on September 6.

UCIL stopped mining activities following the state government directive which was taken in light of recent amendments in the Mineral Concession Rules - 1960, forbidding mining under deemed extension.

Sources in UCIL said the deed for renewal of mining lease has been signed on December 5 and the process of commencing mining operations was underway.

Source:economictimes.indiatimes.com