Thorium based Reactors
Thorium based Reactors
Research & Development on
Thorium utilisation continues to be a high priority area of the Department of
Atomic Energy (DAE). On account of physics characteristics of Thorium, it is
however not possible to build a nuclear reactor using Thorium alone. It has to
be converted to Uranium-233 in a reactor before it can be used as fuel. With
this in view, a three-stage nuclear power programme, based on a closed nuclear
fuel cycle has been chalked out to use thorium as a viable and sustainable
option, right at the inception of India’s nuclear power programme. The three
stage nuclear power programme aims to multiply the domestically available
fissile resource through the use of natural uranium in Pressurised Heavy Water
Reactors, followed by use of plutonium obtained from the spent fuel of
Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors in Fast Breeder Reactors. Large scale use of
Thorium will subsequently follow making use of the Uranium-233 that will be
bred in Fast Breeder Reactors, when adequate capacity has been built in the
country. The third stage of Indian nuclear power programme which contemplates
making use of Uranium-233 to fuel Thorium Uranium-233 based reactors can
provide energy independence to the country for several centuries. All efforts
towards technology development and demonstration are being made now, so that a
mature technology is available in time.
India has abundant quantity of thorium resources contained in the mineral monazite occurring in the beach sand placer deposits along the eastern and western coasts of the country as well as the inland placers in parts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) through its Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration & Research (AMD) has carried out exploration activities over the past six decades, which have resulted in establishing in situ resources of 11.93 million tonnes of monazite as on February 2016 in the country. Indian Monazite contains about 9-10% of Thorium oxide (ThO2) which in turn results in about 1.07 million tonnes of Thorium oxide (ThO2).
A three stage nuclear power programme has been devised to efficiently utilise this large reserve of thorium. The energy potential of this thorium reserve is estimated to be more than 155,500 GWe-years.
This information was provided by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.
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Nuclear Component Parts
The components for
indigenous reactors are already being manufactured by the Indian Industry. In
respect of components /equipment of reactors to be set up with foreign
technical cooperation, the Government lays emphasis on cost effective
localisation of manufacturing in India in discussions with international
partners and facilitates foreign manufactures and Indian industry in reaching
agreements for such localisation.
This information was provided by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.
This information was provided by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.
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