Uranium, the critical raw material required for the production of nuclear energy, is very much in the news in India these days. First, India has taken a major initiative to expand nuclear power generation capacity, using uranium. Second, India commanding only over percent of the global uranium resources, is in dire need of this material. In order to carry forward its nuclear power programme, India has signed deals with countries endowed with uranium for its supply. 

The Japan Electric Power Development Co Ltd (J-Power) has signed an agreement with Global Nuclear Fuel Japan (GNF-J) for the supply of mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel assemblies for use in the Ohma nuclear power plant in Aomori Prefecture, Japan.

The Hyderabad-based Nuclear Fuel Complex  (NFC) has received the first shipment of 60 tonnes of uranium ore concentrate in India from Areva NC, France recently, five months after India signed the deal with US.

Japan's 11 electric power utilities expect to use mixed oxide (MOX) fuel containing about six tonnes of fissile plutonium (in about nine tonnes of reactor grade Pu) each year, once they are in full operation with this from about 2012.