India's experimental Thorium Fuel Cycle Nuclear Reactor [NDTV Report]

Owing to the abundant availability of Thorium within the country, India has steadfastly pursued with its R&D programme to make use of its Thorium supply to generate electricity. As a result, two types of Reactors using Thorium -- the Fast-Breeder Reactor & the Thorium Cycle based Nuclear Reactors are being developed in India & India is considered one the leading countries in the field of Nuclear energy involving Thorium.
The NDTV report covered the experimental Thorium Fuel Cycle Nuclear currently in operation at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre [BARC] in Mumbai. The deployment of Nuclear Reactors running the Thorium Fuel Cycle is part of the third stage of India's 3-Stage Nuclear programme.

Nuclear power in India
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_...

Thorium
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorium

Thorium fuel cycle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorium_...

Shaping the Third Stage of Indian Nuclear Power Programme [PDF]
http://www.dae.gov.in/publ/3rdstage.pdf

Why three-stage nuclear power programme
http://www.domain-b.com/economy/infra...

Video courtesy: New Delhi Television [NDTV]
http://www.ndtv.com/

• Category

  Science & Technology

[hillerm]

If everything they say about Thorium is true, it might be the most important scientific innovation in our lifetime.

[Darth Belal]

This is an example of REAL alternative energy research! India is using what it has to supply energy for its people.

[Bill Hutchinson]

This does not look like a MSR (molten salt reactor), they seem to be experimenting with the more "traditional" type of reactor. Any reactor that uses water as coolant is capable of rupturing and contaminating an area with radioactive steam regardless of the fuel it uses.

[jbiasutti]

The Fukishima disaster was caused by hydrogen build up due to the storage of nuclear waste. All of the Fukishmia reactors had been shut down because of the earthquake.

If they store thorium waste's in the same way they will end up with the same sort of hydrogen explosion.

So at the end of the day it's about paying attention not only to the nuclear reaction but how wastes and other byproducts are treated.

[MARK MITCHELSON]

HI EVERYBODY, WE SHOULD ALL BE SWITCHING TO THORIUM NUCLEAR REACTORS AND AWAY FROM URANIUM BASED NUCLEAR REACTORS FOR OBVIOUS REASONS. CHEERS=DR MARK!

[Jacob ish]

it's called "LFTR"

[maggru91]

Really interesting to see that because of the sanctions pushed on India after their nuclear weapons program went online, they are now on the road towards a brighter future. Had they not had sanctions they might have also gone with uranium and as such not been able to help introduce this wonderful technology to the rest of the world.

A bad thing for India might turn out to be a blessing in the end.

[comicbstudios]

well its not new technology either

[comicbstudios]

it does not use plutonium it does generate a small amount but it is -238 so a lot better and more useful

[comicbstudios]

replying to old comment. but we have known about this for years but the stupid american government chose uranium reactors to make nuclear weapons

[Dude10659]

So we are retarded, the Punjabi Indian gene is superior to ours! We couldn't develop it for limitless free energy, maybe indians will do LFTR and suceed. How come africans can't develop anyhting, just get handouts from asia and eat monkey meat get aids, then white bang em and bring aids to usa

[Ian Shankey]

India is developing SOLID Thorium fueled reactors like the conventional BWR/PWR's we use today. The ONLY way you get the MASSIVE improvements in safety, effiiency, minimal waste, etc. are if you use Thorium in a LIQUID FUEL reactor, like a Molten Salt Reactor. You need BOTH: Thorium + Molten Salt Reactor to get the MASSIVE advantages of this fuel.