THORIUM AS AN ENERGY SOURCE - Opportunities for Norway ...

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Executive Summary
The introduction (Chapter 2) summarizes the energy situation worldwide, and summarised below
are the major findings of the Thorium Report Committee with regard to the Mandate.
Thorium Resources in Norway (Chapter 3)
According to the US Geological Survey (USGS 2007), Norway has one of the major thorium
resources in the world. The listed resources, i.e. 170 000 tonnes, have a potential energy content
which is about 100 times larger than all the oil extracted to date by Norway, plus that of the
remaining reserves.
Most of the thorium enriched minerals are situated within 3 main regions: the Fen Complex in
Telemark County, the Permian Oslo Province, and on the Southeast coast of Norway, in the
Kragerø and Langesund area. A series of thorium bearing minerals has been identified at these
sites, while the Fen Complex is considered to be the most promising resource, with thorium
amounting to about 0.1 – 0.4 wt% (weight percent).
Knowledge of Norwegian thorium enriched minerals and their grades is mainly based on results
from uranium exploration carried out during two periods, from after the war to 1965 and from
1975 to 1985. The thorium levels were estimated from analyses of uranium in mineral samples,
the correlation between uranium and thorium, and from helicopter and ground gamma surveys.
Recent helicopter gamma surveys covering the Permian Oslo Province as well as the Fen Complex
in Telemark County have confirmed previous gamma survey data.
Norway has potential thorium resources, but exploration specifically for thorium has never been
undertaken. Knowledge of the grade and associated volumes is scarce. The quoted USGS 2007
weight estimates of the thorium resources date from the 1950s - 1960s and are uncertain. Thus,
investigations of the resources, not only in the Fen Complex, but also at other sites in Norway, as
well as mineralogical and mineral separation studies should be performed before it can be decided
whether the thorium resources in Norway can be defined as an economical asset for the benefit of
future generations.
The Front End of the Thorium Fuel Cycle (Chapter 4)
Production of thorium has been limited due to a lack of demand (it is used mainly in special
glasses and alloys); it is a by-product of the separation of rare earth elements. The production of
thorium is presently some hundred tonnes per year. The production reached about 1000 tonnes in
the 1970s, and has decreased thereafter due to lack of demand.
Owing to its chemical toxicity, radiotoxicity and pyrophoricity, adequate precautions are required
in the mining and processing of thorium. However, as a result of the very long half-life of thorium,
limited quantities of pure thorium-232 can easily be handled, while some shielding is required for
large amounts. Preparation of thorium fuel is somewhat more complex and more expensive than
for uranium.
Thorium as a nuclear fuel is technically well established and behaves remarkably well in Light
Water Reactors and High Temperature Reactors. It has demonstrated a very good neutron damage
resistance due to its excellent chemical and metallographic stability.
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