NEW DELHI: Indian scientists have announced a new concept of nuclear reactor that will run on thorium, which is available in plenty in the country, and a small amount of "seed" plutonium.

Does not rely on natural or enriched uranium

While India is yet to get the green signal from the United States on uranium supplies, scientists at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, have evolved "A Thorium Breeder Reactor," which does not rely on natural or enriched uranium, says a paper published in the journal Current Science.

"The ATBR combines the merits of the existing heavy water and light water reactor technologies and is tailor-made for large-scale utilisation of thorium," physicists V. Jagannathan and Uma Pal said in the paper.

The primarily thorium-loaded core of the reactor, when initially charged with 2.2 tonnes of reactor-grade plutonium, "is capable of delivering incessant energy of 600 MW for two years with no refuelling and no significant mechanical control manoeuvres," the journal reported the physicists as saying.

Demonstrative trials

After the detailed design and demonstrative trials, this safe and economic idea "can play a key role in harnessing the energy from the large deposits of thorium in India, the journal said." — ANI

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