Evaluation of implementation of thorium fuel cycle with LWR and MSR

In order to construct a sustainable society, it is necessary to consider fairness beyond generations and between countries. It is expected that Asian countries continue growing their economy and will result consuming more energy. More CO2 emission is not acceptable.Nuclear power has many advantages for reducing CO2 emission. However, it still has concerns of nuclear proliferation, radioactive waste and safety. It is necessary to overcome these concerns if nuclear power is expanded to Asian countries. Thorium utilization as nuclear fuel will be an opening key of these difficulties because thorium produces less plutonium, less radioactive waste. Safety will also be enhanced. The use of molten-salt reactor (MSR) triggered by plutonium supply from ordinary light water reactor (LWR) with uranium fuel will allow implementation of thorium fuel cycle with electricity capacity of about 446 GWe around at 2050.The other important sector in a view of sustainability is transportation. Transportation is essential for economy growth. Therefore it is inevitable to reduce CO2 emission from transportation sector. Electric vehicle (EV) will be used as a major mobility instead of gasoline engine cars. Rare-earth materials such as neodymium and dysprosium are necessary for producing EV. These materials are expected to be mined from Asian countries. It is often obtained with thorium as by-product. Thorium has not been used as nuclear fuel because it is not good for nuclear weapon and it does not have fissionable isotopes. Recent global trend of nuclear disarmament and accumulation of plutonium from uranium fuel cycle can support starting the use of thorium.Thorium utilization will help both to provide clean energy and to produce rare-earth for clean vehicle. These will create new industries in developing Asian countries. An international collaborative framework can be established by supplying resource from developing countries and supplying technology from developed countries. “THE Bank (THorium Energy Bank)” is proposed here as one part of such a framework.

► Implementation strategy of thorium use is discussed in view of climate change.
► Capacity of thorium MSR will be 446 GWe by using plutonium from uranium fuel cycle.
► Consumption of thorium will be limited to 81 thousand tonnes around at 2050.
► “THE Bank” is proposed to store this thorium and to lend it to those who want.
► Load-following thorium MSR will support implementation of renewable energy.