Atomic Energy Commission chairman Srikumar Banerjee will commission the Rs. 1,106 crore uranium ore mine and processing plant set up by Uranium Corporation of India at Thummalapalle village in Vemula mandal in Kadapa district on Friday, April 20. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had cleared the uranium ore mining and processing plant at Thummapalle in August 2007 and then Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy laid foundation stone in November that year. UCIL had acquired 1,122 acres of government land and 1,118 acres of private lands in Thummalapalle, Rachakuntapalle, K.K. Kottala and Mabbuchinthalapalle villages in Pulivendula constituency. The uranium mine and processing plant will commence operations on Friday, UCIL Executive Director (Projects – South) N.M. Bahl told The Hindu on Thursday. It's a big event for UCIL, Mr. Bahl remarked. The Thummalapalle Project would boost India's nuclear energy plans and help reduce costs by helping switching over from coal. It would give a fillip to power production from nuclear plants from three per cent in 2011 to over 30 per cent by 2050. Innovative process About 1.10 million tonnes of ore can be mined annually at Thummalapalle. On processing, the ore can yield 250 tonnes of uranium oxide and, on further processing, can be used as fuel for nuclear reactors. The uranium processing plant has a capacity to treat 3,000 tonnes of ore a day. The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre has developed an innovative and economically viable process for recovery of low-grade uranium (less than 0.2 per cent) from Thummalapalle ore mine. Largest reserve The Thummalapalle mine is considered to have world's largest reserves of 1.50 lakh tonnes of uranium. Most of its water requirements is drawn from Chitravathi river.