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Thorium Could Shape India’s Nuclear Future Amid Uranium Supply Pressures
India wants to use more nuclear power to produce electricity.
Nuclear reactors usually use uranium as fuel.
Anil Kakodkar warned that future uranium supplies may not be enough for growing global demand.
He said India has very large thorium reserves that could provide another fuel source.
Thorium cannot be used widely without special recycling technologies.
Using recycled uranium could produce far more energy than using it only once.
Thorium fuel could also reduce waste and save uranium in some reactors.
Kakodkar said India should develop these technologies to advance the next stage of its nuclear programme.
Anil Kakodkar said India should introduce thorium as uranium supplies face a structural deficit.
Recycling uranium could increase its energy potential by 70 to 100 times, he said.
India has the world’s largest thorium reserves, but large-scale use requires recycling technologies.
Thorium fuel in pressurised heavy-water reactors could improve safety, reduce waste and save uranium.
Kakodkar urged development of recycling and molten-salt technologies over the next 10 to 15 years.
- Who
- Anil Kakodkar, former chairman of India’s Atomic Energy Commission, made the proposal.
- What
- He called for India to introduce thorium and expand nuclear-fuel recycling technologies.
- Where
- At the 6th International Climate Summit; the specific location was not stated.
- When
- The comments were made at the 6th International Climate Summit; a date was not stated.
- Why
- Kakodkar said uranium supplies face increasing pressure and a structural deficit, while thorium could extend India’s nuclear-fuel resources.
Key facts
- Speaker
- Dr Anil Kakodkar, chancellor of the Homi Bhabha National Institute and former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of India
- Thorium reserves
- India was described as possessing the world’s largest thorium reserves
- Uranium recycling benefit
- Recycling could increase uranium’s energy potential by 70 to 100 times
- Current uranium support
- Global uranium resources could support about 550 to 750 gigawatts of power generation through a once-through cycle
- India’s nuclear mission
- At least half of India’s envisaged 100-gigawatt nuclear capacity could come from pressurised heavy-water reactors
- Technology timeline
- Thorium-heavy-fuel recycling and thorium molten-salt reactor technologies should be advanced over the next 10 to 15 years
Quotes
Dr Anil Kakodkar
Former chairman of India’s Atomic Energy Commission and chancellor of the Homi Bhabha National Institute
“The objective should be to irradiate thorium in such a way that the cost of electricity from PHWRs does not increase. Also, the demand for thorium does not increase while maintaining the same uranium consumption.”
rediff.com
“Therefore, the transition from uranium to thorium has to be a priority. There is a structural deficit emerging in the uranium supply market, and we need to prepare for it.”
rediff.com
Sources
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