![]() ![]() Development of breeder reactors in general (including thorium reactors, which are breeders by nature) will increase proliferation concerns.Įarly thorium-based ( MSR) nuclear reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the 1960sĪfter World War II, uranium-based nuclear reactors were built to produce electricity. ![]() In 2011, a group of scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology assessed thorium-based power as "a 1000+ year solution or a quality low-carbon bridge to truly sustainable energy sources solving a huge portion of mankind's negative environmental impact." However, development of thorium power has significant start-up costs. Īdvocates believe thorium is key to developing a new generation of cleaner, safer nuclear power. īetween 19, the number of operational thorium reactors in the world has risen from zero to a handful of research reactors, to commercial plans for producing full-scale thorium-based reactors for use as power plants on a national scale. Moir and Edward Teller suggested that thorium nuclear research should be restarted after a three-decade shutdown and that a small prototype plant should be built. One advantage of thorium fuel is its low weaponization potential it is difficult to weaponize the uranium-233/ 232 and plutonium-238 isotopes that are largely consumed in thorium reactors.Īfter studying the feasibility of using thorium, nuclear scientists Ralph W. A thorium fuel cycle can offer several potential advantages over a uranium fuel cycle -including the much greater abundance of thorium found on Earth, superior physical and nuclear fuel properties, and reduced nuclear waste production. ![]() Thorium-based nuclear power generation is fueled primarily by the nuclear fission of the isotope uranium-233 produced from the fertile element thorium. ![]()
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