Closure of Jaduguda mine set to compound power woes

In what could adversely impact the country?s nuclear power generation, the Jharkhand government has closed down the uranium mine in Jaduguda, following a directive from the Centre.

The mine, run by the state-owned Uranium Corporation of India (UCIL), used to account for 25% of the raw material required for running the country?s 20 nuclear power reactors spread across seven sites in the country. The reactors, operated by Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL), have an installed capacity of 5,780 MW.

?The Jaduguda mine has been closed since September 7 and the power plants are already seven days shortage of uranium. Nuclear-based power generation will get affected if the situation persists,? D Acharya, chairman and managing director, UCIL, told FE.

He said the closure was due to the Centre?s July 18 directive, asking the state governments to clamp down on the mines operating under second or third deemed renewal. The state government has acted according to the Centre?s order, Acharya said, adding that the mining lease of Jaduguda had expired long back. The PSU had to continue mining without the lease renewal since the state did not take any initiative on it.

?We have already appraised the Centre about the problem and hope the problem will be resolved soon,? the CMD said.

Operations in Jaduguda mine began way back in 1967 (it was the first uranium mine in the country to be operational) and was producing 1,000 tonnes of uranium ore per day. The uranium ore is found in the mineralised zone of east and west Singhbhum districts, which is about 160 kms in length and between 1 to 10 kms in width. The ore is transferred to the adjacent process plant by a conveyor before it is supplied to the NPCIL reactors as raw material.

If NPCIL is forced to cut down on the nuclear power generation for want of raw material, it would add to the country?s power woes.

Coal-based power plants are already suffering from critical coal stocks besides the country?s hydel generation has been lower than normal because of a deficit monsoon season.

Also, Jharkhand?s 12 operational iron ore mines have been closed down following the Centre?s July 18 directive. This has also impacted production in Tata Steel and SAIL, a Jharkhand government official said.