Thorium
Today’s generation of industrial nuclear reactors mainly burns the U235 isotope of uranium as fuel. However, due to the multiple adverse effects of uranium fuel, researchers started searching for a more environmentally friendly alternative to generating energy and found thorium. Thorium might have elevated nuclear power production to a new level because it was affordable, safe, and produced no radioactive waste, but for some reason, it did not.
The Effectiveness of Using Thorium in Energy Production
When looking for ways to harvest energy on the moon, Kirk (2011) concluded that thorium is the best option for supporting life on the moon. First, thorium contains a tremendous amount of energy. According to Kirk (2011), it is possible to fit a lifetime’s worth of thorium energy in hand. Hence, thorium produces more energy than the same amount of uranium. Second, it is possible to reduce the emission of hazardous waste by employing thorium in Molten Salt Reactors (MSR). Unlike uranium, thorium almost completely burns and produces no waste (Kirk, 2011). It can decrease the environmental effects of radioactive uranium products. Third, thorium may be extracted both from the Earth and the Moon. Because India has a significant deposit of thorium and limited uranium, they have been using thorium MSRs to produce energy (Vijayan et al., 2017). From India’s experience, it can be concluded that a liquid fluoride thorium reactor is technically feasible and can operate efficiently.
The Cost-Effectiveness of Thorium Utilization
It is impossible to deny thorium’s efficiency and positive effects on the environment. However, the cost of employing thorium for energy production is a major problem. Monazite ore, which is exceedingly expensive, is required to extract thorium in substantial amounts. Calculations show that if thorium is extracted from the monazite, 75% of the profits will be used to buy raw materials (Karklins, 2020, p. 19). Thus, not every country has the financial means to invest significantly in the thorium energy industry. As a result, other methods of energy production cannot entirely be replaced by thorium.
To sum up, thorium is an effective and sustainable source of energy. India has demonstrated the viability of implementing MSRs that use thorium. However, using thorium as a raw material for energy generation is not cost-efficient. Due to their low profitability, not every country can switch to thorium-based reactors. Countries would have to sacrifice money to achieve greater sustainability. As a result, there are still more effective ways to produce energy.
References
Karklins, S., Kuhn, A., Prater, H., & Welker, T. (2020). Recovery of thorium from monazite ore for applications in clean, sustainable nuclear power. Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects.
Kirk, S. (2011). Thorium [Video]. YouTube.
Vijayan, P. K., Shivakumar, V., Basu, S., & Sinha, R. K. (2017). Role of thorium in the Indian nuclear power program. Progress in Nuclear Energy, 101, 43–52. doi:10.1016/j.pnucene.2017.02.005