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PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT THORIUM?
Unleash the power of Thor: Why aren’t more
people talking about thorium?
POSTED: Wednesday, April 18, 2012 at 09:27 AM PT
BY: Duncan Delano
Thorium, element number 90 in the periodic table, was
named after the Norse god of thunder, Thor. The name,
bestowed in 1828, was perhaps prescient, foretelling of the
energy this slightly radioactive metal is capable of
producing. So, why have most people never heard of it?
Thorium was successfully tested as a source of nuclear
energy in the U.S. from the 1950s to the 1970s. But research
dollars were shifted to develop uranium reactors instead,
because they could produce both electricity and weaponsgrade plutonium, an important consideration at the height of
the Cold War.
What was thorium’s liability in 1972 has become a benefit in
2012.
Unlike uranium, thorium has no value to terrorists or
Duncan Delano
rogue states seeking nuclear weapons. It is safe both on a
global scale, and a local one: Energy reactors can be designed
to have no meltdown risk, because thorium dissolves in hot liquid fluoride salts.
A chain reaction that gets too hot and expands will be stopped quickly when the
thorium comes in contact with the liquid fluoride salts. The risks of another Chernobyl
or of a nuclear weapon falling in the wrong hands are not part of the thorium equation.
Thorium energy is also incredibly efficient. It produces more neutrons per collision than
conventional nuclear energy, and it is capable of thermal breeding, creating new fuel as
the thorium breaks down in a self-sustaining chain reaction that could last indefinitely.
Less fuel is consumed and less waste is produced. Indeed, the amount of waste
produced by thorium energy is miniscule compared to conventional nuclear energy and
lasts only a few hundred years rather than hundreds of thousands of years.
The high efficiency of thorium energy also means a smaller footprint for the reactor
plant. A traditional nuclear energy plant requires 200,000 to 300,000 square feet plus a
low-population-density buffer zone. A thorium plant requires only 2,000 or 3,000 square
feet and no buffer zone.
Thorium is plentiful in nature and in the U.S. in particular. Estimates show that the U.S.
has enough thorium deposits to power our energy needs for 1,000 years. The country’s
largest thorium vein is in Idaho, so Oregon and the Pacific Northwest are ideal locations
for thorium energy development.
Deposits are located close to the surface and easily accessible, reducing the
environmental impact of mining. Thorium energy could feasibly supplement other
renewables, creating secure, clean energy independence not tied to coal or to natural
gas and fracking.
So, what’s the catch? Quite simply, it’s inertia. Traditional nuclear interests have had
decades to become entrenched, build political allies and demonstrate economically
proven technology. They will not be easy to displace.
And to be sure, thorium energy needs to overcome certain technological barriers. For
example, because a thorium reaction can be self-sustaining, lasting perhaps
indefinitely, the fuel requires especially corrosive-resistant containers; however, such
materials have not been tested over a long period.
Nevertheless, thorium technology shows potential, and there are commercial-scale
projects either in development or in operation around the world. China launched a
massive research-and-development program last year in developing a thorium-breeding
molten-salt reactor, claiming to have the largest national effort in that regard.
India has set a goal of obtaining 30 percent of its electricity needs from thorium by
2050, and has numerous plants under construction. England has formed a parliamentary
group to explore thorium energy; France is building testing models.
Here in the U.S., thorium bills were introduced in Congress in 2008 and 2010. Both were
sponsored by Sens. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Harry Reid, D-Nevada, and both failed. But
new thorium-related legislation is expected to be introduced soon.
With the potential for plentiful, clean and safe energy, the R and D required to get
thorium energy off the ground is well worth it. Both existing and past administrations
have shown a willingness to invest in nuclear energy in the form of loan guarantees, and
conventional nuclear reactors can be retrofitted to accommodate thorium as a
transition to commercial-scale thorium reactors.
We need to step up and give thorium the opportunity to succeed and be part of the
energy discussion. So, let’s start talking about it. Instead of giving Thor the ax, let’s
give him his hammer and let him get to work.
Duncan Delano is an attorney in the energy and the environmental and natural resources
practice groups at Tonkon Torp LLP. Contact him at 503-802-5760 or at
[email protected].