Near Term and Promising Long Term Options for the Deployment of Thorium Based Nuclear Energy

There has been an interest among Member States in the use of the thorium fuel cycle to address the sustainable growth of nuclear energy. Thorium based fuels have been studied for their potential applications in almost all types of reactor, including water cooled reactors, high temperature reactors, fast reactors and molten salt reactors, albeit on a smaller scale than uranium and uranium–plutonium fuels. Thorium has several inherent physical and neutronic characteristics that may be exploited in current and next generation nuclear energy systems to achieve, for example, enhanced capabilities for high conversion, further augmented inherent safety characteristics and reduced minor actinides production. Some Member States view near to medium term deployment of thorium fuels in proven reactor types as not only feasible, but also attractive in meeting expanding energy needs. Several options are also currently under consideration or active development for deployment in the longer term. On the suggestion of the Technical Working Group on Fuel Performance and Technology, in 2011 the IAEA launched a coordinated research project entitled Near Term and Promising Long Term Options for the Deployment of Thorium Based Nuclear Energy. This research project provided a platform for sharing research results and previous experiences among national laboratories and research institutes of participating Member States. The need for coordinated examination of how thorium fuel types may be deployed and what hinders progress towards such goals was addressed by the project to develop strategies for the timely deployment of thorium based nuclear energy systems that can serve as a component of the global energy supply. Canada, China, Czech Republic, Germany, India, Italy, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America all participated in the coordinated research project; this publication is an outcome of the project.