India's Thorium cycle catches world's eye post Japanese nuke disaster

CNBC TV18 ^

[Sancho1984]

India's development of thorium for nuclear power generation caught world interest in the light of the blasts at Japan's nuclear power stations. CNBC-TV18’s Sanjay Suri and Anup Gomen report.

India is considered as the world leader in thorium. The Kakrapar-1 reactor located near Surat in Gujarat is the world's first reactor which uses thorium than depleted uranium for vital power generation. Compated to uranium, thorium has less fissile. The nuclear physicists are now looking at thorium as the safer model.

Ian Hore-Lacy from World Nuclear Association said, "India is the only country in the world that develops thorium fuel cycle. The expertise in India is world class and it is applied very rigorously to the safety of nuclear plants in India."

India has about 25% of the world's thorium reserves and is keen to tap thorium for the growing needs of its population," Hore-Lacy added.

Paddy Regan, Professor of Nuclear Physics from University of Surrey said, “India has a population of a billion people and has massive reserves of thorium. India's nuclear programme, based on the thorium cycle, is slightly different. Indian model thorium based reactors seem to be a very sensible way to go."

Pioneering Indian technology using thorium rather than uranium generated new interest around the world. Thorium is considered less efficient but certainly is much safer. In the light of what has happened in Japan, critics are less inclined to dismiss thorium than they were before.

[fred2008]

Thorium reactors can burn most of our spent fuel while producing electricity.

LFTRS are a terrific solution to many problems.

[Straight Vermonter]

Estimated world thorium resources

(Reasonably assured and inferred resources recoverable at up to $80/kg Th)

Country	Tonnes	% of total
Australia	489,000	19
USA	400,000	15
Turkey	344,000	13
India	319,000	12
Venezuela	300,000	12
Brazil	302,000	12
Norway	132,000	5
Egypt	100,000	4
Russia	75,000	3
Greenland	54,000	2
Canada	44,000	2
South Africa	18,000	1
Other countries	33,000	1
World total	2,610,000

Very little exploration for thorium has been done since it currently has little commercial use. There is likely much more thorium to be found.

[Straight Vermonter]

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Sancho1984. This may be a repost.

[Tramonto]

Wow, there is a lot of Thorium along the state borders.

[tony549]

A google search yielded this: http://energyfromthorium.com/2006/06/22/1972-summary-of-ornl-fluoride-reactor-evolution/

I was trained as a nuclear engineer and knew about the ORNL MSRE experiment conducted in the 60’s. IMHO molten salt breeder reactors would be a welcome addition to US nuclear power, but there are engineering challenges that need to be overcome to bring this design to fruition. I think that we’ll end up buying Thorium reactors from the Indians, unfortunately. They have a prototype that may be operational as early as next year.

[Cronos]

I didn't know much about thorium reactors until this article -- am now reading this wikipedia article