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A mildly radioactive metal about three times more abundant in the earth's crust than uranium, long studied as an alternative nuclear fuel. Thorium is fertile rather than fissile, so it must be bred into a usable fuel inside a reactor, and with uranium cheap and established there has been little commercial incentive to make the change, though India has made thorium a major goal of its nuclear programme and molten salt reactor designs are often proposed around it.
Facts
Source ClassProspective nuclear fuel 1 First Commercial YearThe Peach Bottom High Temperature Reactor in the United States (1967 to 1974) was the first demonstration reactor to run on thorium fuel; thorium has not reached full commercial deployment as a reactor fuel. Cross-Tradition Connections
Sources
1. World Nuclear Association Information Library
World Nuclear AssociationInformation Library, Thorium, Nature and sources of thoriumQuote, Information Library, Thorium, Nature and sources of thorium
It is found in small amounts in most rocks and soils, where it is about three times more abundant than uranium.
1. World Nuclear Association Information Library
World Nuclear AssociationInformation Library, Thorium, Thorium as a nuclear fuelQuote, Information Library, Thorium, Thorium as a nuclear fuel
The 40 MWe Peach Bottom HTR in the USA was a demonstration thorium-fuelled reactor that ran from 1967-74.
1. World Nuclear Association Information Library
World Nuclear AssociationAssociated With: Nuclear Power, Information Library, Thorium, Developing a thorium-based fuel cycleQuote, Associated With: Nuclear Power, Information Library, Thorium, Developing a thorium-based fuel cycle
Uranium is abundant and cheap and forms only a small part of the cost of nuclear electricity generation, so there are no real incentives for investment in a new fuel type
1. World Nuclear Association Information Library
World Nuclear AssociationAssociated With: Uranium, Current and Future Generation, ThoriumQuote, Associated With: Uranium, Current and Future Generation, Thorium
Also, uranium is abundant and cheap and forms only a small part of the cost of nuclear electricity generation, so there are no real incentives for investment in a new fuel type.
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