Is thorium the fuel of the future?
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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.
How long will thorium supplies last?
Thorium nuclear waste only stays radioactive for 500 years, instead of 10,000, and there is 1,000 to 10,000 times less of it to start with. Researchers have studied thorium-based fuel cycles for 50 years, but India leads the pack when it comes to commercialization.
How much thorium is needed to power the world?
In 2003, it was estimated that the world produced 16.5 trllion kilowatt-hours of electricity. If this had all been produced by liquid-fluoride thorium reactors, this would have required 1500 metric tonnes of thorium. Future energy projections foresee electrical production reaching 21.4 trillion kilowatt-hours by 2015.
Which country has the highest amount of thorium?
Australia has the highest thorium resources with 489,000 tons followed by the US with 400,000 tons, Turkey with 344,000 tons and India with 319,000 tons.
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.
How much thorium does India have?
The IAEA’s 2005 report estimates India’s reasonably assured reserves of thorium at 319,000 tonnes, but mentions recent reports of India’s reserves at 650,000 tonnes….Thorium resource estimates.
| Country | Reserves |
|---|---|
| India | 963,000 |
| United States | 440,000 |
| Australia | 300,000 |
| Canada | 100,000 |
Can thorium replace uranium?
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.
How much power does a thorium reactor produce?
300 MWe
The reactor will operate with a power of 300 MWe using thorium-plutonium or thorium-U-233 seed fuel in mixed oxide form. It is heavy water moderated (& light water cooled) and will eventually be capable of self-sustaining U-233 production.
Can I buy thorium?
Thorium is a common element widely distributed across the earth and typically concentrated in the heavy sands which serve as ores for the rare earth metals. Look high, look low and nowhere can a person buy a gram or two of this “common” metal.
How much energy can one ton of thorium produce?
It is estimated that one ton of thorium can produce as much energy as 35 tons of uranium in a liquid fluoride thorium reactor. Conventional reactors utilizes less than one percent of uranium, whereas a well working reprocessing reactor can utilize 99\% of its thorium fuel.
What are the benefits of using thorium in nuclear reactors?
Benefits. It is estimated that one ton of thorium can produce as much energy as 35 tons of uranium in a liquid fluoride thorium reactor. Conventional reactors utilizes less than one percent of uranium, whereas a well working reprocessing reactor can utilize 99\% of its thorium fuel.
How does thorium compare to coal-fired power plants?
Yet, when thorium is compared to coal-fired power plants, the difference is much greater. One ton of thorium can create the same amount of energy as 3.5 million tons of coal. To put that into perspective, coal currently creates about 40\% of the electrical power produced in the U.S. and about 60\% of the electrical power produced in China.
What is the difference between thorium and uranium?
Thorium is three times more plentiful than uranium and does not need to be reprocessed or enriched like uranium-235. Estimations predict that there is enough thorium in the US alone to power the country for another 1,000 years (at the country’s current energy level).