Jaduguda uranium mine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Jaduguda Uranium Mine)
Jump to navigationJump to search
Jaduguda Uranium Mine
Location
Jaduguda Uranium Mine is located in IndiaJaduguda Uranium MineJaduguda Uranium Mine
Location in India
Location Jaduguda, Purbi Singhbhum district
State Jharkhand
Country India
Coordinates 22°23′N 86°13′ECoordinates: 22°23′N 86°13′E
Production
Products Uranium
History
Opened 1967
Owner
Company Uranium Corporation of India
Website www.ucil.gov.in
The Jaduguda Mine (also spelt as Jadugoda or Jadugora) is a uranium mine in Jaduguda village in the Purbi Singhbhum district of the Indian state of Jharkhand. It commenced operation in 1967 and was the first uranium mine in India.[1] The deposits at this mine were discovered in 1951. As of March 2012 India only possesses two functional uranium mines, including this Jaduguda Mine.[2] A new mine, Tummalapalle uranium mine is discovered and mining is going to start from it.
Mining activities were suspended in 2014[3] following an inquiry into the lease renewal of the mine. Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) expects mining activity to resume at Jaduguda in 2017.[4]
The Jaduguda mine produces up to 25% of the raw materials needed to fuel India's nuclear reactors.[5]
Contents
1 Geography
2 Uranium purification plant
3 Smuggling of uranium
4 Pollution
5 Controversies
6 References
7 External links
Geography
The Jaduguda uranium mine is an underground mining mine located in the Purbi Singhbhum district of Jharkhand.[6] The mine is located at least 640 meters below the earth's surface and is accessible by a 5-meter diameter vertical shaft.[7]
Uranium purification plant
A uranium purification plant is usually located closely to the mine as uranium ore is converted here to yellow cake. According to Department of Atomic Energy, the ore extracted from this mine is of 0,065 grade, which means that the plant needs to process 1000 kg of ore to extract 65 grams of usable uranium.[8] The plant processes 2190 tonnes uranium ore per day.[9]
After purification of the ore, yellow cake is shipped by heavy-duty vehicles to the Nuclear Fuel Complex in Hyderabad, Telangana, which is over 1,200 kilometres (750 mi) away from plant.[10]
Smuggling of uranium
On 18 February 2008 police of Supaul district in the eastern Indian state of Bihar seized 4 kg of low-quality uranium and arrested one Indian and five Nepali smugglers. According to media reports the uranium was smuggled out of the Jaduguda mines and the smugglers were trying to sell it to Nepal. The market value of the seized uranium was estimated at ₹50,000,000 (US$720,000) on the international market.[11][12]
Pollution
When uranium ore is extracted from the ground, 99.28% of the mined ore is treated as waste as the uranium isotopes used in nuclear power plants mainly is uranium-235 leaving behind the major portion of the ore which constitutes of uranium-236 and uranium-238 as well as some other components. This waste (also referred to as tailings) is then neutralised with lime and carried through pipelines to a tailing pond. This transport is made possible through the provision of clean water (in the pipelines) out of decantation wells which is then taken through a closed channel to an effluent treatment plant for the removal of radium and manganese. The solid tailings are then retained in the ponds (tailing ponds).
There were reports coming from the locals around the tailing ponds :
In a report in CSE-Down to Earth Feature Service, entitled "A deformed existence" and dated 4 June 1999, Manish Tiwari quoted Biruli as saying, "Many women in the area complain of disrupted menstrual cycles. This area also has a high rate of either miscarriages or still-born babies... Biruli claims that nearly 30,000 people living in 15 villages in the five-km radius of the tailings ponds are exposed to radiation. 'Earlier, children were still-born. Now they die within few days of their birth,' he says . He also claims that nearly one-third of the women living in these areas are suffering from loss of fertility. Even animals such as cows and buffaloes are suffering from rare diseases.[13]
The BARC committee came to Jaduguda in November 1998 at the request of the State Government, due to these reports.
The committee concluded: "The consensus of all the doctors was that the cases examined had congenital anomalies, diseases due to genetic abnormalities like thalassaemia major and retinitis pigmentosa, moderate to gross splenomegaly due to chronic malaria l infection (as this is hyperendemic area), malnutrition, post encephalitis, post head injury sequelae and certain habits (alcohol) and have no relation to radiation." Its report adds: "The team was convinced and unanimously agreed that the diseases' pattern cannot be ascribed to radiation exposure in any of these cases."[13]
Controversies
The mine itself is still prone to some controversies as the introduction of the mine resulted in the loss of land for many villagers surrounding its location, as well as some issues regarding protective gear :
"A population of around 35,000 people living within a 5-kilometer radius of the mines are adversely affected by radiation from the tailing ponds. Many villagers lost land and jobs when they were displaced by the mining operations, and many now work in the uranium mines as daily wage labourers. They often do not get proper protective gear to handle radioactive materials and work with bare hands, exposing themselves to heavy doses of radiation. UCIL, the company responsible for the health of its workers, on the other hand, always refutes any allegations of violations of labour laws and human rights. The company is outright defensive about its protective measures and refuses to acknowledge the problems faced by the labourers."[14]
Tummalapalle uranium mine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigationJump to search
Ambox current red.svg
This article needs to be updated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (October 2018)
Tummalapalle Uranium Mine
Location
Tummalapalle Uranium Mine is located in Andhra PradeshTummalapalle Uranium MineTummalapalle Uranium Mine
Location in Andhra Pradesh, India
Show map of Andhra Pradesh
Show map of India
Show all
Location Tumalapalli, YSR Kadapa district
State Andhra Pradesh
Country India
Coordinates 14°19′N 78°16′ECoordinates: 14°19′N 78°16′E
Production
Products Uranium
Owner
Company Uranium Corporation of India
Website www.ucil.gov.in
The Tummalapalle Mine is a uranium mine in Tumalapalli village located in Kadapa of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Results from 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.[1][2]
On 19 July 2011, Secretary of Department of Atomic Energy, Dr. S. Banerjee who is also the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of India confirmed on reserves of 49,000 tonnes and suggested that there could be even three times larger which would make Tummalapalle the mine with the world's largest uranium deposits.[3][4] The estimates were subsequently increased to 85,000 tonnes in 2014.[5]
Earlier, uranium reserves were found only up to a depth of about 250 metres. The latest findings reportedly indicate that the reserves run as deep as 1,000 metres.[5]
This finding substantially increased India’s capability of producing energy from nuclear plants. As of 2018, India was producing about 3.13% of its energy from nuclear plants[6]. These findings suggest that this output can be increased to more than 30% by 2050, essential if India hopes to reduce its emissions, pollution and use of coal power. 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.[7]
Contents
1 History
2 Geography
3 Water resources
4 Uranium purification plant
5 Minerals
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
History
On 23 Aug 2007 The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) of Government of India cleared the setting up of a uranium mine and processing plant by the Uranium Corporation of India with an estimated cost of ₹11.06 billion (US$160 million).[8] After that the Uranium Corporation of India acquired 1,122 acres (454 ha) of government land at ₹50,000 (US$720) per 1 acre (0.40 ha) and 1,118 acres (452 ha) of private land at a price of ₹180,000 (US$2,600) for 1 acre (0.40 ha) of wetland and ₹120,000 (US$1,700) for dry land in Tummalapalle, Rachakundapalle, KK Kottaland, and Mabbuchintalapalle villages in Pulivendula constituency. On 20 November 2007 the then Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy laid the foundation stone for the mine.[9] UCIL commissioned Cuddapah Uranium Phase-1 Project with 3000 tonnes on 20 April 2012.[10]
Geography
Tummalapalle uranium ore mine is located in Vemula Mandal of Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh at a distance of 70 kilometres (43 mi) from Kadapa, the district's headquarters. The area where the deposits were found is covered in Survey of India's topographic sheet Nos. 57 J/3 and 57 J/7 between latitudes 14°18'36" N & 14°20'20" N and longitudes 78°15'16" E & 78°18' 03.3" E. The nearest town is Pulivendla, which is 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) away (by road) towards the north-west. The mine is linked to Pulivendla through village roads leading to State Highway No.18, which connects Kadapa with Velidandla. The nearest railway station is Muddanurru on South Central Railway’s Hyderabad – Chennai BG Line, which is 50 kilometres (31 mi) towards the north-east.[11]
Water resources
The mine will draw most of its water requirements from the river Chitravathi. Design, construction and commissioning work of intake well and pump house at Chitravati River basin, the water and effluent treatment plants and the condensate recovery unit at uranium ore processing plant and laying of cross-country pipeline from the river Chitravati to the uranium ore processing plant – all these tasks were contracted by Jamshedpur Utilities & Services Company (Jusco), a 100% subsidiary company of Tata Steel, on EPC basis.[12] The water system project, the construction of which commenced in August 2008, was inaugurated by Srikumar Banerjee on 7 July 2011.[13]
Uranium purification plant
The construction works for the first phase of the uranium purification was completed in 2012 and Cuddapah Uranium Phase-1 Project was commissioned with 3000 tonnes capacity on 20 April 2012[10]. Phase one of the uranium purification plant has a capacity to treat 3,000 tonnes of ore per day. The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) has developed an innovative, economically viable process for the recovery of low-grade uranium (less than 0.2%) from the Tummalapalle ore mine. As illustrated by Dr. A. K. Suri, Director of Materials Group, BARC, "the main objective of making a techno-economically viable process flow-sheet is to reduce the number of stages of unit operations and conservations leachants(sic) by regeneration and recycle(sic) leading to minimisation of fresh water inventory as well as quantum(sic) of liquid effluent discharge for the most challenging low-grade uranium ore".[14]
The hydro-metallurgical uranium purification plant which would be constructed in the mine's current lease period, will treat the dolomite based uraniferous which is found in the deposits. On the mode of operation, the Uranium Corporation of India report stated that "in the initial period of operation of mine, ore will be received from decline having particle size of 80% passing through 10 cm screen and will be transported by covered dumpers from the mine site to the ore processing plant and later by covered conveyor".[11] This mine would be the first in the country to adopt alkali based leaching in place of the conventional acid based leaching method.[15] This process was chosen on the basis of the nature of the ore found in the site. BARC has developed a well-integrated flowsheet for the process to treat the low-grade uranium ore extracted from the alkaline host rocks in Tummalapalle.[14]
Minerals
The Bonds Work Index of the Tummalapalle uranium ore sample is 13.6 kWh/tonne and the mineralogical composition is as follows,[16]
Mineral % Weight
Carbonates 83.2
Quartz + feldspar 11.3
Apatite 4.3
Pyrite 0.47
Chalcopyrite 0.05
Galena Traces
Magnetite 0.15
Ilmenite + leucoxene 0.25
Iron hydroxide (goethite) 0.27
Pitchblende in association with pyrite 0.1
Total 100.0
26 FEBRUARY 2019 ANALYSIS
The top seven nuclear power plants in India
By Jack Unwin
SHARE
Nuclear power forms an important part of India’s energy mix and the country is looking to expand this, with another 5.4GW to be added to current nuclear power plants in the next decade. Power Technology takes a look at the country’s current fleet.
Nuclear power in India delivers a total capacity of 6.7GW, contributing to just under 2% of the country’s electricity supply. India’s nuclear plants are controlled by Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL), a state-owned corporation which was founded in 1987. India boasts a fleet of seven nuclear power plants, profiled here in order of size from largest production capacity to smallest.
Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, Tamil Nadu
Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant is located in the Tamil Nadu, Southern India. It is the highest-capacity nuclear plant in India, with a total of 2,000MW currently installed with a further 2,000MW under construction.
Kudankulam is the only nuclear plant in India that uses pressurised water reactors (PWR) rather than boiling water reactors (BHWR) or pressurised heavy-water reactors (PHWR). The PWRs are based on Russian technology and were supplied by Atomstroyexport.
Construction was halted on the project in October 2011 after protests against the plant led by The People’s Movement against Nuclear Energy in the wake of Fukushima. The Indian Supreme Court dismissed the protestor’s public suit against the plant in May 2013.
Tarapur Nuclear Reactor, Maharashtra
The Tarapur Nuclear Reactor in Maharashtra, Western India is the oldest nuclear facility in India, having commenced commercial operations in 1969.
The reactor is currently the second most powerful in India, with two BHWR of 160MW and two PHWR reactors of 540MW forming a total of 1,400MW.
The two BHWR were part of the initial installation in 1969, with the two PHWR reactors being added in 2005 and 2006.
Rajasthan Atomic Power Plant, Rajasthan
The Rajasthan Power Plant in Rajasthan, North-Western India has a total installed capacity of 1180MW. Formed of six PHWR reactors with two more reactors planned, the first reactor was commissioned back in December 1973.
The plant was the target of protestors from the local chapter of the now ruling Indian People’s Party (BJP) in June 2012. The BJP called for a bandh – a protest similar to a strike – and led a protest rally against the plant, resulting in mass arrests of the protestors.
Kaiga Atomic Power Plant, Karnataka
The Kaiga Atomic Power Plant in Karanataka, Western India is formed of four 220MW PHWR reactors making a total of 880MW. The reactors became operational in December 1999, October 2000, April 2007 and January 2011.
Unit 1 of the Kaiga plant set the world record for continuous operation in December 2018. It had 962 days of unbroken operation from the 13 May 2016 to 31 December 2018, surpassing the previous record set by Heysham 2 in the UK by 22 days.
Kalapakkam Nuclear Power Plant, Tamil Nadu
Kalapakkam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu first began operating in 1984 and currently has two 235MW reactors, with two more reactors of 500MW and 600MW to be added at a later date.
Kalapakkam has a prototype fast breeder reactor (PFBR) which does not produce highly radioactive nuclear waste and can produce 70% more energy.
The reactor survived the Vardah cyclone when winds of up to 90mph hit Tamil Nadu province in December 2016.
Narora Nuclear Reactor, Uttar Pradesh
The Narora Nuclear Reactor in Uttar Pradesh, Northern India has two PHWR which offer a total capacity of 440MW. Unit 1 was installed in January 1991, and unit 2 following in July 1992.
Despite a major fire occurring in unit 1 in May 1993 and unit 2 being out of service for a month after an air-locking inner door malfunction in September 1999, Narora is considered one for the safest nuclear plants in the country and won a Golden Peacock award for environment management in the year 2000.
Kakarapar Atomic Power Plant, Gujarat
The Kakarapar Atomic Power Plant in Gujarat, Western India has two PHWR reactors with a total installed capacity of 440MW. The two reactors were completed in May 1993 and September 1995 respectively.
The plant was shut down for 66 days in 1998 due to a leak in its water systems, but it recovered to be awarded the best PHWR in its class by the CANDU owners group in January 2003.
The plant also received a successful ‘heart transplant’ in September 2018 when all of its coolant channel and feeder tubes at the core of its reactor were replaced.
jaibharat02@gmail.com
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Jaduguda Uranium Mine)
Jump to navigationJump to search
Jaduguda Uranium Mine
Location
Jaduguda Uranium Mine is located in IndiaJaduguda Uranium MineJaduguda Uranium Mine
Location in India
Location Jaduguda, Purbi Singhbhum district
State Jharkhand
Country India
Coordinates 22°23′N 86°13′ECoordinates: 22°23′N 86°13′E
Production
Products Uranium
History
Opened 1967
Owner
Company Uranium Corporation of India
Website www.ucil.gov.in
The Jaduguda Mine (also spelt as Jadugoda or Jadugora) is a uranium mine in Jaduguda village in the Purbi Singhbhum district of the Indian state of Jharkhand. It commenced operation in 1967 and was the first uranium mine in India.[1] The deposits at this mine were discovered in 1951. As of March 2012 India only possesses two functional uranium mines, including this Jaduguda Mine.[2] A new mine, Tummalapalle uranium mine is discovered and mining is going to start from it.
Mining activities were suspended in 2014[3] following an inquiry into the lease renewal of the mine. Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) expects mining activity to resume at Jaduguda in 2017.[4]
The Jaduguda mine produces up to 25% of the raw materials needed to fuel India's nuclear reactors.[5]
Contents
1 Geography
2 Uranium purification plant
3 Smuggling of uranium
4 Pollution
5 Controversies
6 References
7 External links
Geography
The Jaduguda uranium mine is an underground mining mine located in the Purbi Singhbhum district of Jharkhand.[6] The mine is located at least 640 meters below the earth's surface and is accessible by a 5-meter diameter vertical shaft.[7]
Uranium purification plant
A uranium purification plant is usually located closely to the mine as uranium ore is converted here to yellow cake. According to Department of Atomic Energy, the ore extracted from this mine is of 0,065 grade, which means that the plant needs to process 1000 kg of ore to extract 65 grams of usable uranium.[8] The plant processes 2190 tonnes uranium ore per day.[9]
After purification of the ore, yellow cake is shipped by heavy-duty vehicles to the Nuclear Fuel Complex in Hyderabad, Telangana, which is over 1,200 kilometres (750 mi) away from plant.[10]
Smuggling of uranium
On 18 February 2008 police of Supaul district in the eastern Indian state of Bihar seized 4 kg of low-quality uranium and arrested one Indian and five Nepali smugglers. According to media reports the uranium was smuggled out of the Jaduguda mines and the smugglers were trying to sell it to Nepal. The market value of the seized uranium was estimated at ₹50,000,000 (US$720,000) on the international market.[11][12]
Pollution
When uranium ore is extracted from the ground, 99.28% of the mined ore is treated as waste as the uranium isotopes used in nuclear power plants mainly is uranium-235 leaving behind the major portion of the ore which constitutes of uranium-236 and uranium-238 as well as some other components. This waste (also referred to as tailings) is then neutralised with lime and carried through pipelines to a tailing pond. This transport is made possible through the provision of clean water (in the pipelines) out of decantation wells which is then taken through a closed channel to an effluent treatment plant for the removal of radium and manganese. The solid tailings are then retained in the ponds (tailing ponds).
There were reports coming from the locals around the tailing ponds :
In a report in CSE-Down to Earth Feature Service, entitled "A deformed existence" and dated 4 June 1999, Manish Tiwari quoted Biruli as saying, "Many women in the area complain of disrupted menstrual cycles. This area also has a high rate of either miscarriages or still-born babies... Biruli claims that nearly 30,000 people living in 15 villages in the five-km radius of the tailings ponds are exposed to radiation. 'Earlier, children were still-born. Now they die within few days of their birth,' he says . He also claims that nearly one-third of the women living in these areas are suffering from loss of fertility. Even animals such as cows and buffaloes are suffering from rare diseases.[13]
The BARC committee came to Jaduguda in November 1998 at the request of the State Government, due to these reports.
The committee concluded: "The consensus of all the doctors was that the cases examined had congenital anomalies, diseases due to genetic abnormalities like thalassaemia major and retinitis pigmentosa, moderate to gross splenomegaly due to chronic malaria l infection (as this is hyperendemic area), malnutrition, post encephalitis, post head injury sequelae and certain habits (alcohol) and have no relation to radiation." Its report adds: "The team was convinced and unanimously agreed that the diseases' pattern cannot be ascribed to radiation exposure in any of these cases."[13]
Controversies
The mine itself is still prone to some controversies as the introduction of the mine resulted in the loss of land for many villagers surrounding its location, as well as some issues regarding protective gear :
"A population of around 35,000 people living within a 5-kilometer radius of the mines are adversely affected by radiation from the tailing ponds. Many villagers lost land and jobs when they were displaced by the mining operations, and many now work in the uranium mines as daily wage labourers. They often do not get proper protective gear to handle radioactive materials and work with bare hands, exposing themselves to heavy doses of radiation. UCIL, the company responsible for the health of its workers, on the other hand, always refutes any allegations of violations of labour laws and human rights. The company is outright defensive about its protective measures and refuses to acknowledge the problems faced by the labourers."[14]
Tummalapalle uranium mine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigationJump to search
Ambox current red.svg
This article needs to be updated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (October 2018)
Tummalapalle Uranium Mine
Location
Tummalapalle Uranium Mine is located in Andhra PradeshTummalapalle Uranium MineTummalapalle Uranium Mine
Location in Andhra Pradesh, India
Show map of Andhra Pradesh
Show map of India
Show all
Location Tumalapalli, YSR Kadapa district
State Andhra Pradesh
Country India
Coordinates 14°19′N 78°16′ECoordinates: 14°19′N 78°16′E
Production
Products Uranium
Owner
Company Uranium Corporation of India
Website www.ucil.gov.in
The Tummalapalle Mine is a uranium mine in Tumalapalli village located in Kadapa of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Results from 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.[1][2]
On 19 July 2011, Secretary of Department of Atomic Energy, Dr. S. Banerjee who is also the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of India confirmed on reserves of 49,000 tonnes and suggested that there could be even three times larger which would make Tummalapalle the mine with the world's largest uranium deposits.[3][4] The estimates were subsequently increased to 85,000 tonnes in 2014.[5]
Earlier, uranium reserves were found only up to a depth of about 250 metres. The latest findings reportedly indicate that the reserves run as deep as 1,000 metres.[5]
This finding substantially increased India’s capability of producing energy from nuclear plants. As of 2018, India was producing about 3.13% of its energy from nuclear plants[6]. These findings suggest that this output can be increased to more than 30% by 2050, essential if India hopes to reduce its emissions, pollution and use of coal power. 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.[7]
Contents
1 History
2 Geography
3 Water resources
4 Uranium purification plant
5 Minerals
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
History
On 23 Aug 2007 The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) of Government of India cleared the setting up of a uranium mine and processing plant by the Uranium Corporation of India with an estimated cost of ₹11.06 billion (US$160 million).[8] After that the Uranium Corporation of India acquired 1,122 acres (454 ha) of government land at ₹50,000 (US$720) per 1 acre (0.40 ha) and 1,118 acres (452 ha) of private land at a price of ₹180,000 (US$2,600) for 1 acre (0.40 ha) of wetland and ₹120,000 (US$1,700) for dry land in Tummalapalle, Rachakundapalle, KK Kottaland, and Mabbuchintalapalle villages in Pulivendula constituency. On 20 November 2007 the then Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy laid the foundation stone for the mine.[9] UCIL commissioned Cuddapah Uranium Phase-1 Project with 3000 tonnes on 20 April 2012.[10]
Geography
Tummalapalle uranium ore mine is located in Vemula Mandal of Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh at a distance of 70 kilometres (43 mi) from Kadapa, the district's headquarters. The area where the deposits were found is covered in Survey of India's topographic sheet Nos. 57 J/3 and 57 J/7 between latitudes 14°18'36" N & 14°20'20" N and longitudes 78°15'16" E & 78°18' 03.3" E. The nearest town is Pulivendla, which is 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) away (by road) towards the north-west. The mine is linked to Pulivendla through village roads leading to State Highway No.18, which connects Kadapa with Velidandla. The nearest railway station is Muddanurru on South Central Railway’s Hyderabad – Chennai BG Line, which is 50 kilometres (31 mi) towards the north-east.[11]
Water resources
The mine will draw most of its water requirements from the river Chitravathi. Design, construction and commissioning work of intake well and pump house at Chitravati River basin, the water and effluent treatment plants and the condensate recovery unit at uranium ore processing plant and laying of cross-country pipeline from the river Chitravati to the uranium ore processing plant – all these tasks were contracted by Jamshedpur Utilities & Services Company (Jusco), a 100% subsidiary company of Tata Steel, on EPC basis.[12] The water system project, the construction of which commenced in August 2008, was inaugurated by Srikumar Banerjee on 7 July 2011.[13]
Uranium purification plant
The construction works for the first phase of the uranium purification was completed in 2012 and Cuddapah Uranium Phase-1 Project was commissioned with 3000 tonnes capacity on 20 April 2012[10]. Phase one of the uranium purification plant has a capacity to treat 3,000 tonnes of ore per day. The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) has developed an innovative, economically viable process for the recovery of low-grade uranium (less than 0.2%) from the Tummalapalle ore mine. As illustrated by Dr. A. K. Suri, Director of Materials Group, BARC, "the main objective of making a techno-economically viable process flow-sheet is to reduce the number of stages of unit operations and conservations leachants(sic) by regeneration and recycle(sic) leading to minimisation of fresh water inventory as well as quantum(sic) of liquid effluent discharge for the most challenging low-grade uranium ore".[14]
The hydro-metallurgical uranium purification plant which would be constructed in the mine's current lease period, will treat the dolomite based uraniferous which is found in the deposits. On the mode of operation, the Uranium Corporation of India report stated that "in the initial period of operation of mine, ore will be received from decline having particle size of 80% passing through 10 cm screen and will be transported by covered dumpers from the mine site to the ore processing plant and later by covered conveyor".[11] This mine would be the first in the country to adopt alkali based leaching in place of the conventional acid based leaching method.[15] This process was chosen on the basis of the nature of the ore found in the site. BARC has developed a well-integrated flowsheet for the process to treat the low-grade uranium ore extracted from the alkaline host rocks in Tummalapalle.[14]
Minerals
The Bonds Work Index of the Tummalapalle uranium ore sample is 13.6 kWh/tonne and the mineralogical composition is as follows,[16]
Mineral % Weight
Carbonates 83.2
Quartz + feldspar 11.3
Apatite 4.3
Pyrite 0.47
Chalcopyrite 0.05
Galena Traces
Magnetite 0.15
Ilmenite + leucoxene 0.25
Iron hydroxide (goethite) 0.27
Pitchblende in association with pyrite 0.1
Total 100.0
26 FEBRUARY 2019 ANALYSIS
The top seven nuclear power plants in India
By Jack Unwin
SHARE
Nuclear power forms an important part of India’s energy mix and the country is looking to expand this, with another 5.4GW to be added to current nuclear power plants in the next decade. Power Technology takes a look at the country’s current fleet.
Nuclear power in India delivers a total capacity of 6.7GW, contributing to just under 2% of the country’s electricity supply. India’s nuclear plants are controlled by Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL), a state-owned corporation which was founded in 1987. India boasts a fleet of seven nuclear power plants, profiled here in order of size from largest production capacity to smallest.
Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, Tamil Nadu
Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant is located in the Tamil Nadu, Southern India. It is the highest-capacity nuclear plant in India, with a total of 2,000MW currently installed with a further 2,000MW under construction.
Kudankulam is the only nuclear plant in India that uses pressurised water reactors (PWR) rather than boiling water reactors (BHWR) or pressurised heavy-water reactors (PHWR). The PWRs are based on Russian technology and were supplied by Atomstroyexport.
Construction was halted on the project in October 2011 after protests against the plant led by The People’s Movement against Nuclear Energy in the wake of Fukushima. The Indian Supreme Court dismissed the protestor’s public suit against the plant in May 2013.
Tarapur Nuclear Reactor, Maharashtra
The Tarapur Nuclear Reactor in Maharashtra, Western India is the oldest nuclear facility in India, having commenced commercial operations in 1969.
The reactor is currently the second most powerful in India, with two BHWR of 160MW and two PHWR reactors of 540MW forming a total of 1,400MW.
The two BHWR were part of the initial installation in 1969, with the two PHWR reactors being added in 2005 and 2006.
Rajasthan Atomic Power Plant, Rajasthan
The Rajasthan Power Plant in Rajasthan, North-Western India has a total installed capacity of 1180MW. Formed of six PHWR reactors with two more reactors planned, the first reactor was commissioned back in December 1973.
The plant was the target of protestors from the local chapter of the now ruling Indian People’s Party (BJP) in June 2012. The BJP called for a bandh – a protest similar to a strike – and led a protest rally against the plant, resulting in mass arrests of the protestors.
Kaiga Atomic Power Plant, Karnataka
The Kaiga Atomic Power Plant in Karanataka, Western India is formed of four 220MW PHWR reactors making a total of 880MW. The reactors became operational in December 1999, October 2000, April 2007 and January 2011.
Unit 1 of the Kaiga plant set the world record for continuous operation in December 2018. It had 962 days of unbroken operation from the 13 May 2016 to 31 December 2018, surpassing the previous record set by Heysham 2 in the UK by 22 days.
Kalapakkam Nuclear Power Plant, Tamil Nadu
Kalapakkam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu first began operating in 1984 and currently has two 235MW reactors, with two more reactors of 500MW and 600MW to be added at a later date.
Kalapakkam has a prototype fast breeder reactor (PFBR) which does not produce highly radioactive nuclear waste and can produce 70% more energy.
The reactor survived the Vardah cyclone when winds of up to 90mph hit Tamil Nadu province in December 2016.
Narora Nuclear Reactor, Uttar Pradesh
The Narora Nuclear Reactor in Uttar Pradesh, Northern India has two PHWR which offer a total capacity of 440MW. Unit 1 was installed in January 1991, and unit 2 following in July 1992.
Despite a major fire occurring in unit 1 in May 1993 and unit 2 being out of service for a month after an air-locking inner door malfunction in September 1999, Narora is considered one for the safest nuclear plants in the country and won a Golden Peacock award for environment management in the year 2000.
Kakarapar Atomic Power Plant, Gujarat
The Kakarapar Atomic Power Plant in Gujarat, Western India has two PHWR reactors with a total installed capacity of 440MW. The two reactors were completed in May 1993 and September 1995 respectively.
The plant was shut down for 66 days in 1998 due to a leak in its water systems, but it recovered to be awarded the best PHWR in its class by the CANDU owners group in January 2003.
The plant also received a successful ‘heart transplant’ in September 2018 when all of its coolant channel and feeder tubes at the core of its reactor were replaced.
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