Karandikars & Associates

27th December 2024

1. NTPC Limited, India`s largest integrated power company, and USA-based Clean Core Thorium Energy (CCTE) have announced a strategic partnership to explore the development & deployment of “ANEEL™️” (Advanced Nuclear Energy for Enriched Life), a Thorium based fuel for Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs), subject to approval from the respective Governments
2. NTPC, a Maharatna company under Govt. of India, is committed to the energy transition for achieving India’s net carbon zero target. In addition to renewable energy, NTPC has also ventured into Nuclear energy as a clean, dispatchable, and baseload source of energy to support this endeavour. As part of its broader commitment to sustainability and energy security, NTPC is focused on collaborations, technology acquisitions, and indigenous fuel development
3. CCTE is a leading developer of thorium-based nuclear fuel technologies, committed to pioneering the research of advanced nuclear fuel cycles. CCTE's flagship ANEEL™️ fuel combines thorium with small amounts of enriched uranium. The expected benefits of ANEEL™️ fuel include the utilization of thorium as a fuel in existing PHWR reactors, significant reductions in nuclear waste, enhancing India’s energy security using domestically available thorium, and improved safety and proliferation resistance. Additionally, ANEEL™️ fuel offers cost savings by delivering greater energy output within existing safety margins and lowering the operating costs of current reactors
4. Subject to approval from respective Governments in line with prevailing national laws, NTPC and CCTE intends to collaborate for :
1. Exploring development & deployment of ANEEL™️ fuel in India
2. Exploring possible indigenisation of ANEEL™️ fuel manufacturing, local supply chain development
3. Exploring establishment of supply chain for HALEU (High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium)
4. Exploring supply of Uranium to India with sovereign guarantee