Challenges and opportunities in uranium processing industry in India

Minerals are the vital raw material for infrastructure, capital goods, energy and many basic industries and therefore hold special importance in the growth of human civilisation. The growth of industrial sector of any country depends on production and development of minerals and their subsequent processing. The technology of mineral processing has grown over the years with the demand of quality minerals or end products. Uranium and thorium are the two chief atomic minerals with their inherent immense potential for clean, secured and affordable energy supply. Our country has moderate uranium resources but abundant thorium. The strategic atomic energy programme of our country depends on full utilisation of indigenous uranium resources and therefore uranium processing industry occupies a special standing in the overall energy plan of India. Uranium processing technology is now vibrant with many new plants coming up adopting newer technology. But the faster depletion of available and easily minable reserves poses serious challenge to develop novel processing technologies to treat complex or lower grade ores. The prevailing environmental guidelines also demand efficient use of process effluents and wastes and offer opportunities to recover valuable by-products.