Nuclear Safegaurd in Place

Dear Reader,

Greetings from Asian Nuclear Energy e-Zine. The 11/26 Mumbai terrorist attacks have drastically altered the very perception of India's security concerns. The terrorists, as established by evidence, had come by sea. What if, in future they come by air and crash a plane on an atomic reactor or power plant, taking a leaf out of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Centre? There is such a possibility as terrorists grow strong in strategy, technology and their suicidal commitment. India's nuclear establishment has already tightened security at its various atomic reactors and power plants across the country, in the wake of the Mumbai attacks in which nearly 200 people were killed. According to Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar, the security of the nuclear power plants across the country is being reviewed and the sites of some of the crucial plants have been declared "no-flying zones." The cover story of the e-Zine details this vital issue of nuclear security. Uranium is the most critical raw material and input for nuclear power plants. The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. and Uranium Corporation of India Ltd., both State-owned, have signed a pact to collaborate in the exploration and development of uranium mining. The Focus section reports this significant development. As nuclear commerce has begun to take roots in India, plant equipment and raw material suppliers such as Russia have started offering concessions in order to serve their long-term interests in this country. We carry a write-up under Opportunity. In the Infrastructure section, we have detailed the plans of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL) to set up at least five Nuclear Parks at different sites to build clusters of 1,000 mw units. The warning of looming Global Warming has suddenly but surely underlined the importance of emissions-free nuclear energy world-wide. J.M. Bernhard Jr., Chairman, Shaw Group of the United States, has called for a national commitment to build up to 50 nuclear power plants by 2030 in America in order to create jobs, clean electricity and energy independence. We carry the report as the e-Zine's Viewpoint. Then we have in the News section, French energy firm Areva, the world's largest nuclear power company, offering NPCIL an annual supply 300 tonnes of uranium, under, what will be the first major nuclear fuel supply agreement by the Indian firm after the approval of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal earlier this year. Also included in the News section is AEC Chairman Kakodkar's assessment of the satisfactory progress the Indo-US nuclear deal has made so far.

Wish you Happy Reading!


Satya Swaroop,
Managing Editor.