Lok Sabha Question No. 3042 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-16
Subject: Thorium Based Reactors
Ministry: ATOMIC ENERGY
Asked by: OM BIRLA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3042 TO BE ANSWERED ON 16.03.2016

## THORIUM BASED REACTORS

## 3042.  SHRI OM BIRLA:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether feasibility studies for thorium based reactors have been conducted by the Government in various parts of the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof, location-wise;
- (c) whether India has large reserves of thorium as compared to other countries; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the total volume of thorium reserves found in the country and total power estimated to be generated through these reserves?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) & (b)     Research & Development on Thorium utilisation continues to be a high priority area of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). On account of physics characteristics of Thorium, it is however not possible to build a nuclear reactor using Thorium alone. It has to be converted to Uranium233 in a reactor before it can be used as fuel. With this in view, a threestage nuclear power programme, based on a closed nuclear fuel cycle 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 Fast Breeder

Reactors,  when  adequate  capacity  has  been  built  in  the  country.  The third  stage  of  Indian  nuclear  power  programme  which  contemplates making use of Uranium-233 to fuel Thorium Uranium-233 based reactors can provide energy independence to the country for several centuries. All efforts  towards  technology  development  and  demonstration  are  being made now, so that a mature technology is available in time.

- (c) & (d)     Yes, Sir. India has abundant quantity of thorium resources contained in the  mineral monazite occurring in the beach sand placer deposits along the  eastern  and  western  coasts  of  the  country  as  well  as  the  inland placers in parts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) through its Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration & Research (AMD) has carried out exploration activities over the past six decades, which have resulted in establishing in situ resources of 11.93 million  tonnes  of  monazite  as  on  February  2016  in  the  country.  Indian Monazite contains about 9-10% of Thorium oxide (ThO2) which in turn results in about 1.07 million tonnes of Thorium oxide (ThO2).

A three stage nuclear power programme has been devised to efficiently utilise this large reserve of thorium. The energy potential of this thorium reserve is estimated to be more than 155,500 GWe-years.

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