14 DAY TRIAL // India plans to experience the benefits of thorium, a chemical element which can replace uranium in the process of obtaining nuclear power.
Thorium appears to be a much safer and cost-effective option. Since it represents one of India's natural resources, it is considerably more abundant and 200 times more energy dense than its rival.
Furthermore, it is a cleaner option for the environment as well, taking into consideration that during exploitation it generates a lower level of CO2 emissions.
The officials who are behind this project intend to turn the plan into reality by the end of the decade. The innovative power plant would use thorium instead of uranium as fuel to power its reactors.
Despite the fact that opening such a facility would be a worldwide premiere, this technology isn't as new as we would tend to think.
It was actually first developed in the 50', when scientists reached the conclusion that the element has great potential of generating atomic power. After experts announced this breakthrough, all the plans have been abandoned in favor of uranium.
Representatives expect to obtain 300MW of power from the reactor.
Experts estimate that it will take about 6 months to find an appropriate location for this ambitious project and another 18 months to obtain all the paperwork necessary to start the construction of the power plant.
All in all, officials think that the entire facility will be functional about six years after they start building the power plant.
If the large-scale reactor trial will succeed in improving the safety level and efficiency of nuclear power plants, it is likely that thorium will start being used on an international scale.
Environmental groups seem to have received the news with enthusiasm, since officials state that thorium has the potential to become the best substitute for fossil fuels.
“Given India's abundant supply of thorium it makes sense for her to develop thorium reactors.However, many of the advantages of thorium fuel are best realised with totally new reactor designs such as the molten salt reactor developed Alvin Weinberg in the 60s. I hope India will also commit to exploring this option,” declared Baroness Worthington, the patron of the Weinberg Foundation, for the Guardian.