[Thermalseeker]

The nuclear physicists are now looking at thorium as the safer model.

Edward Teller started pushing the idea of Thorium reactors in the late 1950's. He supported and promoted the idea until his death in 2003. These boys are a little late to the party.....

[theBuckwheat]

“...-Because nearly all of the thorium is used up in an LFTR (versus only about 0.7% of uranium mined for an LWR), the reactor achieves high energy production per metric ton of fuel ore, on the order of 300 times the output of a typical uranium LWR. The LFTR allows much higher operating temperatures than does a typical LWR therefore a higher thermodynamic efficiency. The turbine system believed best suited for its operation is a triple-reheat closed-cycle helium turbine system, which should convert 50% of the reactor heat into electricity compared to today’s steam cycle (~25% to 33%). This efficiency gain translates to about 4.11 million barrels of crude oil equivalent per year more than that generated by a steam system. Capital costs are lower due to smaller reactor & turbo-machinery size, low reactor pressures and minimal redundant safety systems. The greater energy production capability of LFTRs means we estimate the cost for electricity from a LFTR plant could be 25% to over 50% less than that from a LWR.

Waste—In theory, LFTRs would produce far less waste along their entire process chain, from ore extraction to nuclear waste storage, than LWRs. A LFTR power plant would generate 4,000 times less mining waste (solids and liquids of similar character to those in uranium mining) and would generate 1,000 to 10,000 times less nuclear waste than an LWR. Additionally, because LFTR burns all of its nuclear fuel, the majority of the waste products (83%) are safe within 10 years, and the remaining waste products (17%) need to be stored in geological isolation for only about 300 years (compared to 10,000 years or more for LWR waste). ...”

from: http://www.thoriumenergy.org/lftradsrisks.html

[bill1952]

>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.

I remember a day when that sentence was routinely applied to American achievements...

Now?

[PAR35]

Gujarat is the world's first reactor which uses thorium than depleted uranium

Looks like the reporter has established his or her knowledge level.

[Prospero]

From Lunar Pioneer Online

[GoDuke]

Bfl

[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.