vittana.org Open in urlscan Pro
2606:4700:3036::ac43:bdba  Public Scan

Form analysis
1 forms found in the DOM

GET https://vittana.org/

<form method="get" class="search-form navigation-search" action="https://vittana.org/"> <input type="search" class="search-field" value="" name="s" title="Search"></form>

Text Content

Skip to content

Search
Menu
 * Featured
 * Investing
 * Statistics
 * Big Issues
 * Contact Us
 * Search


16 BIG THORIUM REACTOR PROS AND CONS

January 9, 2018January 10, 2018 by Louise Gaille

A thorium reactor is a form of nuclear energy, proposed for use as a molten salt
reactor. It is fueled by the uranium-233 isotope that is taken from the element
thorium. Thorium is weakly radioactive, has a high melting point, and is
available with more abundance than uranium as an element. It was first
discovered in 1829 by Morten Thrane Esmark, an amateur mineralogist from Norway.

The primary advantage of a thorium reactor is that it is extremely friendly to
the environment. When operating, it produces zero greenhouse gas emissions.
There is minimal pollution, despite the slightly radioactive nature of the
element and its unstable nature.

As for the primary disadvantage of a thorium reactor, the toxic and radioactive
elements must be properly handled to create the zero-pollution footprint. It
creates a molten salt mixture that is highly corrosive. The materials used to
process these materials must be able to withstand its harshness.

Here are some additional key points to think about when looking at the pros and
cons of a thorium reactor.


LIST OF THE PROS OF A THORIUM REACTOR

1. It eliminates the threat of nuclear weapons.
Although a standard thorium reactor is fueled uranium-233 isotope, there is no
need for uranium enrichment with this technology. That means the malicious step
to modify energy fuel into a nuclear weapon goes away with this technology.
There would be fewer comparisons with these facilities operational about which
leader has the bigger button to push. When irradiated, thorium produces
uranium-232 initially and that disrupts the reaction process for current nuclear
weapon technologies.

2. It comes from a plentiful supply.
Thorium is believed to have at least 3 times more availability than uranium.
That would provide the world with enough fuel to power reactors with this
element for several centuries. Future generations would be able to benefit from
this technology and it would be able to fuel innovation in many different
industries because the threat of a power shortage would be effectively
eliminated. In the U.S., there is an estimated supply of thorium that could meet
current energy needs for the next 1,000 years.

3. It is a technology that can be mass-produced.
Although thorium reactors have a high initial start-up cost, those costs can be
reduced with proper manufacturing techniques. Copenhagen Atomics believes that
thorium reactors could be produced on an assembly line. Their waste burner
design, for example, is small enough that it can fit inside a standard shipping
container.

4. It eliminates the threat of nuclear waste.
One of the unique benefits of a thorium reactor is that it can be mixed with
current nuclear wastes that are produced. That means the waste products that are
currently in storage could be used again as a power source. At the same time,
when thorium is added to current nuclear waste, the storage time for the waste
is reduced. Current estimates for nuclear storage are up to 100,000 years of
maintenance. With thorium waste, the estimated time is just 300 years.



5. It produces high levels of energy.
A thorium reactor can produce efficiency levels as high as 98%. Current nuclear
technologies can achieve an efficiency rate of about 5% with its fuel. That
means thorium energy has the potential to produce more energy than any current
traditional fossil-fuel based option, current nuclear technologies, and
renewable power resources.

6. It eliminates the safety concerns of traditional nuclear power.
Thorium reactors have a unique ability to self-regulate their temperature
levels. Should the reactor overheat for some reason, then the reaction that is
generated begins to slow down on its own. At the same time, thorium reactors
operate at standard atmospheric pressures, eliminating the need to have
pressurized water. That reduces the risks of steam-based incidents. The fuel for
molten salt reactors is already in a liquid form as well, so the threat of a
meltdown emergency is eliminated.

7. It offers the potential to reduce war and eliminate poverty.
The potential of a thorium reactor is this: it could provide enough clean energy
for every person, community, and nation on our planet. With increased resource
access, poverty could be reduced, security threats could be reduced, and there
would be a greater chance for peace. Thorium could even be created through the
incineration of weapons-grade plutonium that is currently installed on warheads
globally, which would further reduce the threat of a nuclear Armageddon from
occurring.

8. Storage costs for spent fuel would be reduced.
The use of thorium reactors instead of traditional nuclear reactors would
eliminate the need for large-scale storage of spent fuel. It may also reduce the
need for long-term storage as the technology for reusing fuels is improved. Some
estimate that the threat of hazardous waste from a thorium reactor will be 1,000
times less than comparable uranium-based technologies that are currently in use.

9. It is a highly efficient technology compared to fossil-fuel power generation.
The benefit of a thorium reactor is that just one ton of this element can
produce as much energy as an estimated 200 tons of uranium. 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.



10. Thorium is safer to mine.
Thorium ore is generally found in higher concentrations when compared to uranium
ore in its respective natural states. That means mining is more efficient and
would be potentially safer and less costly. Pit mining is possible with thorium,
which eliminates the threat of high radon levels that can sometimes be found in
uranium mines.




LIST OF THE CONS OF A THORIUM REACTOR

1. There is no current infrastructure to support thorium use.
In the United States, thorium research has been on the back burner for more than
30 years. No country in the world today has an approval agency that is ready to
approve the current designs that are available for a thorium reactor. This
includes the molten salt reactor designs that are available. Many nations do not
even have the knowledge base necessary to create an approval agency in the first
place.

2. The start-up process could be lengthy and costly.
Because there is not an infrastructure in place to support thorium technologies,
the cost of start-up would need to include the cost to implement administrative
oversight of this technology. In 2004, the proposed cost for a new prototype
system in the United States were listed as being “less than $1 billion” with
operational costs of about $100 million per year. Because this is a technology
not in play right now, many of the anticipated costs are only speculative and
could be much higher.

3. Not every thorium design is self-sustaining.
Although thorium reactors would create up to two orders of magnitude less in
nuclear waste, not every reactor can produce as much fissile material as it
consumes while generating energy. Some reactor designs required the addition of
new fissile materials, such as plutonium, to maintain production levels. That
reduces many of the benefits that a thorium reactor is able to deliver once it
becomes operational.



4. The fissile materials created by a thorium reactor provide different dangers.
A standard thorium reactor would use irradiated thorium to produce energy. When
thorium is irradiated, it creates uranium-232. This material produces high
levels of dangerous gamma rays, even if certain nuclear threats are eliminated.
If molten salts are not used and uranium-233 is preferred, then the fuel can be
used in nuclear weapons, which eliminates the purpose of transitioning to this
technology for many in the first place.

5. It costs more.
Thorium reactors have a higher cost of fuel fabrication compared to traditional
nuclear technologies. Standard fuel rods may have storage challenges and costs
that must be met, but with current technology, it is still cheaper to generate
power on fuel rods than it is to provide molten salts or irradiated thorium for
energy production.

6. Research into thorium energy is politically restricted.
Although thorium research has occurred in Germany, Denmark, the U.S., and other
locations, only India and China are actively pursuing this technology with an
intent to utilize it in the near future. India, for example, forecasts that they
could produce up to 30% of their projected power needs with the implementation
of thorium reactor technologies by 2050. Part of the reason for this is that
traditional nuclear technologies are still functional and much cheaper. There is
no risk of having zero payoff occur like a thorium reactor creates.

These thorium reactor pros and cons prove that there is a lot of potential in
this technology. For countries with nuclear capabilities, starting or reopening
the research into the various methods of fueling a thorium reactor may be
somewhat costly, but could also be life-changing to future generations. If the
negatives of this technology can be appropriately managed, this type of reactor
could be the future of power on planet Earth.




 * Share
 * Pin
 * Tweet


Blog Post Author Credentials
Louise Gaille is the author of this post. She received her B.A. in Economics
from the University of Washington. In addition to being a seasoned writer,
Louise has almost a decade of experience in Banking and Finance. If you have any
suggestions on how to make this post better, then go here to contact our team.
Categories Big Issues
Post navigation
11 Integral Pros and Cons of Depo Shot
11 Important Three Gorges Dam Pros and Cons


RECENT POSTS

 * 18 Major Advantages and Disadvantages of the Payback Period
 * 20 Advantages and Disadvantages of Leasing a Car
 * 19 Advantages and Disadvantages of Debt Financing
 * 24 Key Advantages and Disadvantages of a C Corporation
 * 16 Biggest Advantages and Disadvantages of Mediation
 * 18 Advantages and Disadvantages of a Gated Community
 * 17 Big Advantages and Disadvantages of Focus Groups
 * 17 Key Advantages and Disadvantages of Corporate Bonds
 * 19 Major Advantages and Disadvantages of Annuities
 * 17 Biggest Advantages and Disadvantages of Advertising


RECENT POSTS

 * 18 Major Advantages and Disadvantages of the Payback Period
 * 20 Advantages and Disadvantages of Leasing a Car
 * 19 Advantages and Disadvantages of Debt Financing
 * 24 Key Advantages and Disadvantages of a C Corporation
 * 16 Biggest Advantages and Disadvantages of Mediation
 * 18 Advantages and Disadvantages of a Gated Community
 * 17 Big Advantages and Disadvantages of Focus Groups
 * 17 Key Advantages and Disadvantages of Corporate Bonds
 * 19 Major Advantages and Disadvantages of Annuities
 * 17 Biggest Advantages and Disadvantages of Advertising


CATEGORIES

 * Big Issues
 * Comparisons
 * Featured
 * Infographics
 * Insurance
 * Investing
 * Investing Featured
 * Loans
 * Microfinance
 * Personal Finance
 * Personal Finance Featured
 * Statistics
 * Understanding Poverty


ARCHIVES

Archives Select Month March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019
November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May
2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November
2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April
2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October
2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March
2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016
 * Home
 * Privacy Policy
 * Contact Our Team

© 2022 Vittana
Vittana Personal Finance Blog
Data and Cookie Consent
In order to provide a more personal user experience, we and our partners use
technology such as cookies to store and/or access device information.
By clicking “Accept” you consent to these technologies which will allow us and
our partners
to process non-sensitive data such as IP address, unique ID, and browsing data
for the purposes of serving personalized ads and content, ad and content
measurement, audience insights, and to develop and improve products.
Your choices on this site will be applied only for this site. You can change
your settings at any time, including withdrawing your consent, by going to the
Privacy Policy
page of this site.
Manage Settings
Accept
Update Privacy Settings