What ails the India-US N-deal?

While Washington wants most of Indian reactors to be placed under the civilian list, New Delhi has indicated its willingness to place reactors which produce half of its total nuclear power output under IAEA safeguards, excluding those already under safeguards but including those under construction.

The N-deal: What's on India's mind?

The 15 functioning reactors produce 3310 Megawatt electrical, or MWe, but four of them (TAPS I and II and RAPS I and II, which produce 620 MWe) are already under IAEA safeguards. This leaves 2690 Mwe.

Among the plants still being built, Koodankulam I and II, which are expected to generate 1000 Mwe each are already under safeguards, while Kaiga III and IV, RAPP V and VI and TAPS III are expected to produce 1420 MWe.

But even if New Delhi places reactors which totally produce 2055 MWe (half of 2690+1420) the total number of reactors under safeguards will be too few to be acceptable to the Americans, who want at least a third of the plants under IAEA jurisdiction.

Given this, it is most unlikely that any deal can be wrapped up before US President George Bush visits India March 1.

The atomic power station at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan

Also See: India, US set nuclear table for Bush visit