Lok Sabha Question No. 846 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-06-26
Subject: Thorium-based Nuclear Reactors
Ministry: ATOMIC ENERGY
Asked by: Gitaben Vajesingbhai Rathva

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 846

TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.06.2019

## THORIUM-BASED NUCLEAR REACTORS

## 846.   SHRIMATI RATHVA GITABEN VAJESINGBHAI :

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  scientists  have  now  started  to  experiment  the  power  of  other radioactive element such as thorium as a safer and cleaner energy source;
- (b) if  so,  whether  the  thorium-based  small  nuclear  reactors  would  be  able  to make the world free from its dependency on coal and natural gas;
- (c) if  so,  the  response  of  the  Government  thereto  and  whether  Government  is contemplating to use it; and
- (d) if so, the time as well as the manner in which it is likely to be done?

## ANSWER

THE  MINISTER  OF  STATE  FOR  PERSONNEL,  PUBLIC  GRIEVANCES  & PENSIONS AND PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (Dr. JITENDRA SINGH) :

- (a) Yes, Sir.  Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has planned the use of large deposits of Thorium available in the country as a long-term option. A threestage nuclear power programme has been chalked out to use Thorium as a viable and sustainable option, right at the inception of India's nuclear power programme. The three stage nuclear power programme aims to multiply the domestically available fissile resource through the use of natural Uranium in Pressurised  Heavy  Water  Reactors,  followed  by  use  of  Plutonium  obtained from  the  spent  fuel  of  Pressurised  Heavy  Water  Reactors  in  Fast  Breeder Reactors. Large scale use of Thorium will subsequently follow making use of the Uranium-233 that will be bred in Reactors.  The utilisation of Thorium, as a practically  inexhaustible  energy  source,  has  been  contemplated  during  the third stage of the Indian Nuclear Programme.  As is the case with generation of  electricity  from  Uranium, there will be no emission of green house gases from Thorium also and therefore, it will be a clean source of energy.

- (b) It is not possible to build a nuclear reactor using Thorium (Thorium-232) alone due to its physics characteristics. Thorium has to be converted to Uranium-233 in a reactor before it can be used as fuel.
- (c) Development  of  technologies  pertaining  to  utilisation  of  thorium  has  been  a part  of  ongoing  activities  in  Department  of  Atomic  Energy.    With  sustained efforts  over  the  years,  India  has  gained  experience  in  different  areas  of Thorium  fuel  cycle.  Efforts  are  currently  on  to  enlarge  the  present  Thorium related R&D work and activities to a bigger scale and towards development of technologies for the third stage of our nuclear power programme. Safety has been accorded paramount importance in all Thorium technology development studies.
- (d) Commercial utilisation of Thorium, on a significant scale can begin only when abundant supplies of either Uranium-233 or Plutonium resources are available. Accordingly,  the  large  scale  introduction  and  utilization  of  Thorium  in  the programme has been contemplated after an adequate inventory of Plutonium becomes  available  from  our  Fast  Breeder  Reactors  (FBRs),  comprising  the second  stage  of  Indian  nuclear  power  programme.  This  will  be  after  a  few decades of large scale deployment of FBRs. In preparation for the utilisation of Thorium in Third Stage of India's Nuclear Power Programme, efforts towards technology development and demonstration are made now so that a mature technology for Thorium utilisation is available in time.

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