Can thorium be used for nuclear power?
Thorium is more abundant in nature than uranium. It is fertile rather than fissile, and can only be used as a fuel in conjunction with a fissile material such as recycled plutonium. Thorium fuels can breed fissile uranium-233 to be used in various kinds of nuclear reactors.
Should we consider using liquid fluoride thorium reactors for power generation?
LFTRs show strong potential for significantly improving safety. The greatest advantage of LFTRs is that there is very low chance of a catastrophic, explosive meltdown like Chernobyl, or a partial meltdown like Japan’s Fukushima-Daiichi or Three-mile Island in Pennsylvania.
Why thorium is not used in nuclear reactors?
Thorium cannot in itself power a reactor; unlike natural uranium, it does not contain enough fissile material to initiate a nuclear chain reaction. As a result it must first be bombarded with neutrons to produce the highly radioactive isotope uranium-233 – ‘so these are really U-233 reactors,’ says Karamoskos.
How much does a liquid fluoride thorium reactor cost?
Development of LFTR equipment technology, testing of the design and construction, and construction of factories to produce them: ~$5Billion. Build 100MW LFTRs on assembly lines: ~$200 Million.
Is thorium more powerful than uranium?
Comparing the amount of thorium needed with coal, Nobel laureate Carlo Rubbia of CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research), estimates that one ton of thorium can produce as much energy as 200 tons of uranium, or 3,500,000 tons of coal.
Is anyone building a thorium reactor?
A team from the Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group (NRG) the Netherlands has built the first molten salt reactor powered by thorium in decades. There are several basic facts of nuclear power that have made it a tough sell around the world. For one, the uranium needed for nuclear power plants is rare and expensive.
Is thorium cheaper than uranium?
Thorium is a heavy element that is far more abundant than uranium. It is up to 200 times more energy-dense than uranium — and it’s also cheap.
Is thorium the fuel of the future?
Thorium reactors are a different way to generate electricity that could benefit the world. More efficient than their fossil fuel counterparts, safer than a conventional nuclear plant, and generating no carbon emissions as a byproduct, LFTRs are a viable solution for the future of our world’s energy needs.
Is thorium the future?
Currently, thorium is enjoying a revival, with experiments on molten salt thorium technology in the Netherlands and reactors being built not only in India, but also in China and elsewhere.