Why India should go for Thorium fuel Cycle?

Developed countries in the west are not blessed with large thorium deposits while uranium could be procured easily from the mines of Canada, South Africa and Australia for the Light-Water Reactors (LWR). That seems to be main reason why the thorium fuel cycle was not pursued with vigor in the west and uranium fuel cycle served the purpose of power generation and for producing plutonium for nuclear weapons. It is definitely low-risk development of choice with inherent safety. However, the generation of large amounts of high-level waste, including trans-plutonics and their ultimate disposal became an emotive subject worldwide.

India is one of the very few blessed countries with large deposits of thorium right on the beaches of the States Kerala and Orissa. But somehow, the high technology required for thorium fuel cycle didn’t take off earlier probably due to the “sanctions” post 1974. Besides, uranium was available from the Jaduguda mines, and a number of PHWRs were built for nuclear power generation. Simultaneously, however, thorium utilization was at the top in the agenda for the long term core objective of the “third stage” of the nuclear power program.

At present, it is reported that BARC is engaged in developing 300 MWe Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) to gain expertise for thorium utilization and for demonstrating advanced safety concepts. Mixed Thoria-Urania and Thoria-Plutonia are the candidate fuels for the AHWR. Accelerator Driven Sub-Critical Systems (ADS) is the latest addition to the Indian Nuclear program for large scale utilization of thorium. It is expected to provide the strong technology base for its ambitious program of incineration of the long-lived actinides and fission products, thereby reducing the high level waste inventory. India’s long term nuclear power program is reported to be based on the thorium fuel cycle.

The much publicized Indo-US nuclear deal, if works out satisfactorily, would have augmented the short-term nuclear power contribution from the PHWRs. Natural uranium is used as the fuel, which India seems to have short supply.