Another issue of relevance is if you build uranium based power plants then you will have to be dependent upon uranium imports, which will be quite a costly affair. And if you develop indigenous program of thorium based power plants then you will have more autonomy as India has rich natural reserves of thorium which can last 1000s of years. That way we probably do not need this N-deal.
RE:Thorium
by Batman on Aug 24, 2007 01:04 AM Permalink
its nt just a matter of funds its also a matter of time. today indian industry is suffering due to huge power cuts. we cant afford to loose time. if our economy stops where will the money to fund thorium research come from. Take this deal n put thorium research on da fast track
RE:Thorium
by Vishnu Sharma on Aug 24, 2007 08:18 AM Permalink
Thorium processing has its positives and drawbacks: http://www.power-technology.com/features/feature1141/
But BARC's FTBR is claimed to be the first design that truly exploits the concept of 'breeding' in a reactor that uses thorium. The handful of fast breeder reactors (FBRs) in the world today - including the one India is building in Kalpakkam near Chennai - use plutonium as fuel.
These breeders have to wait until enough plutonium is accumulated through reprocessing of spent fuel discharged by thermal power reactors that run on uranium.
Herein lies the rub.
India does not have sufficient uranium to build enough thermal reactors to produce the plutonium needed for more FBRs of the Kalpakkam type. The India-US civilian nuclear deal was expected to enable India import uranium and reprocess spent fuel to recover plutonium for its FBRs. But this deal has hit a roadblock due to opposition by the left.
Iyengar has one suggestion that he says must be acceptable to the US if it is serious about helping India to solve its energy problem. The US and Russia have piles of plutonium from dismantled nuclear weapons,' Iyengar told IANS, adding: 'They should allow us to borrow this plutonium needed to start our breeders. We can return the material after we breed enough to work our thorium breeder reactors
RE:Thorium
by Batman on Aug 24, 2007 01:06 AM Permalink
Yes u r right we have no option left but to buy uranium frm NSg. its nt bcoz we are fools n we have too much money to spend bt bcoz we just dont have uranium resources. tarapur reactor has just 2 more years of fuel left. Abt thorium we still dont have the tech to star producing power using thorium on a large scale. we shuld take this deal so our immediate requirements are served and speed up thorium research so that as soon as we have thorium technology we just stop using uranium technology... Bt for our scientists to work they too need electricity they wont be able to work under the candles and our economy needs power whch will provide money for research as well...
RE:Thorium
by amitabh kumar on Aug 24, 2007 01:19 AM Permalink
That too is not a bad idea. If you start with few Uranium based plant while speeding up the research on Thorium then we can within a shorter period of time achieve energy autonomy. Besides instead of importing Uranium based technology we can import Thorium technology as well, I am not sure if any country has developed Thorium based technology.
RE:Thorium
by Batman on Aug 24, 2007 01:25 AM Permalink
good u understood. ur doubts must be clear. now do u support the deal??? Support this deal for our better future. dont think we ll be in the pawns of the US. we are too strong to be intimidated by neone. Not even the US can do ne harm to us. Use this deal to the max n thn dump it whn we dont need it. nuthn will happen. remember in world politics the powerful have the right to break the rules
RE:Thorium
by amitabh kumar on Aug 24, 2007 01:46 AM Permalink
I will see the whole issue from 3 angles 1. freedom for dependence on OIL and hence the Islamic countries and 2. Energy autonomy and 3. Nuclear deterrence. From all of these angles the deal is not bad. After all if we find Uranium to be expensive we will not buy it. The deal only gives us the sanction to purchase Uranium from NSG countries. How we are going to use it is entirely upon us. Besides we always have the right to maintain an infrastructure for a nuclear deterrence.
RE:Thorium
by Batman on Aug 24, 2007 01:49 AM Permalink
right absolutely right. couldnt hae explained it better. i have copied ur words and will use it on other forums to highlight the benefits of the deal if u dont mind...
RE:Thorium
by mr on Aug 24, 2007 01:05 AM Permalink
This article is wrongly projecting environment impacts of this clean nuclear burning fuel whether thorium or uranium. So, you have to reply to them too.
RE:Thorium
by mr on Aug 24, 2007 01:03 AM Permalink
For successful operation, uranium is needed. Our existing operation of uranium plants are facing shortages. Do you think our PM & the politicians doesn't know the concern of India.
