NEW DELHI, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- By the end of 2009, India plans to have about 6,000 megawatts of nuclear energy online, all generated at domestic power plants.
Since September 2008, when India received Nuclear Suppliers Group waivers, the country has joined the global civil nuclear commerce trade.
There are 17 nuclear plants already built, but they all are operating below 40 percent of their capacity, PTI news agency reports.
There are also three more power plants expected to be operational late in 2009.
Within the next 12 months, all of India's plants will use uranium from France and Russia to bring capacity up to 90 percent, said Minister of State for Commerce and Power Jairam Ramesh.
A domestic uranium mill is also expected to add to the country's resources in the next year. The Turamdih mill in Jharkhand state is expected to become operational in the next two and a half years.
