State-owned Uranium Corporation of India Ltd (UCIL) has commissioned the final product packaging plant at its Tumallapalle mine and processing plant in Cuddapah district of Andhra Pradesh.

“We have achieved a milestone by launching the first unit in Andhra Pradesh and put it on trial run since last Wednesday,” said UCIL Chairman-cum-Managing Director Diwakar Acharya.

Addressing a press conference Friday at Narwapahar project premises, about 20 km from here, Acharya expressed satisfaction over the progress of Tumallapalle project, which will be the largest plant of UCIL with a capacity of 3,000 tonnes ore production as well as processing per day.

The work is going on in full swing and the plant is expected to be fully operational soon, he said, adding that Uranium Corporation has invested around Rs 1,100 crore in the project, which was the first unit of the PSU beyond Jharkhand.

Having a vast reserve of uranium ore, Tumallapalle has enough scope for further expansion and would be one of the largest units of Uranium Corporation in the country, he said.

After the commissioning of the project, the company has plans to expand it in the vicinity and extract additional 1,500 tonnes ore per day.

“We will be investing another over Rs 800 crore for the expansion,” he said, adding that UCIL has plans to take up another expansion in Kanampalle.

The Tumallapalle plant would reach a production capacity of 6,000 tonnes per day following the commissioning of all the three phases.

Asked about the protest against nuclear power world over, following the Fukosima Tsunami incident, Acharya said no country, barring Germany, has shelved their nuclear plant projects.

As far as Germany is concerned, Acharya said they were producing surplus power compared to their population whereas the scenario in India is just opposite.

Acharya said UCIL is also in the process of obtaining clearances for the construction of its mines as well as a processing plant in Lambapur/Peddagattu in Nalgonda district of Andhra Pradesh.