India's thorium-based nuclear dream inches closer

[the_physicist]

09 November 2012 by Hal HodsonSINCE India began its nuclear programme in the 1950s, it has aimed to tap the ample thorium reserves that lie within its borders. Construction is finally set to begin on a reactor that will produce electricity from India's most convenient fuel for the first time. But with a checkered past on the subject, the country's

Comments

[fenris_lorsrai]

This seems extremely... negative. Does nuclear power have risks? yes, of course. all energy sources have a different mix of risks and advantages. Nuclear can just have a very visible, long lasting failure. Conventional oil and gas have a long lasting but INVISIBLE problem when they operate under normal circumstances. (CO2, SO2, and particulate matter that causes respiratory distress)

even renewables have problems. solar power and wind probably have the least that can go catastrophically wrong, but solar panels rely heavily on rare earths, a limited resource that China's been manipulating market for (and extremely dirty to mine). Solar mills can potentially explode. Wind farms, really the only failure is that the blades break off in a storm and fall. If its ina field, big deal, if it's downtown, its like a train falling from the sky. Hydro can blow out the dam. (assuming you could ever build it in many of India's holy rivers. plus it interferes with shipping)

India probably sits as one of the countries likely to suffer most from climate change. Primarily the monsoon cycle may collapse and turn India extremely arid. Or may fuel devastating super monsoons. they really don't know right now. So developing something that doesn't produce CO2 makes perfect sense as PART of their energy mix. Not every area of the country will be able to use solar or wind year round. (monsoons make solar dicey right now) Wind and hydro also run risk of the monsoon pattern totally changing. Nobody will get to 100% of their energy needs with a single source unless they're incredibly lucky. so it makes sense that they try building an experimental plant. They might decide it doesn't fit their needs. But it lets them study it in a real world situation and determine if the costs and risks meet their needs way better. and it might just be a colossal failure!

The US has a bunch of "we built only one" power plants as experiments. Some we determined sucked and shut down shortly thereafter. Some are still running, but we decided weren't worth building more. some were jump off points for next generation.

If they think they're at point where the only way they can really figure out details is actually BUILD one, more power to them. Just take all the necessary precautions. there's lots of data on how to build it safer and avoid pitfalls with design. This is a different type of reactor, but much of it will cross over. (and considering India has MONSOONS, I think they'll be planning for possible flooding!)

TLDR. something just seemed off with tone of this article and it seemed very much to be "stupid Indians, why are they trying something WE think won't work?" I didn't like the overall tone of "we know better".

[the_physicist]

yes, i felt the article was also very negative, it wasn't just you. especially with the phrasing "the best thing India has to show for its thorium efforts".

well, what's the best thing anyone else has to offer for its efforts in fusion research? :/ not to mention since they first started researching this the world has changed its opinion on nuclear energy - so much so that the West hardly even has any nuclear physicists now. India has had to carry the burden alone of developing civil nuclear power from the ground up to do it with thorium rather than the traditional sources.