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

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Thorium as an Energy Source - Opportunities for Norway fragmented to a point where universities in most countries lack sufficient staff and equipment to provide education in all but a few nuclear areas. Today, Institute for Energy Technology (Institutt for energiteknikk, IFE) operates two research reactors in Norway. IFE maintains a national competence in reactor technology and safety, based on the international OECD Halden Reactor Project. A broad spectrum of fuel- and material examinations is performed at the Halden Reactor. The University of Oslo has Norway’s only research accelerator. The main nuclear research, conducted in international collaborations, focuses on methods and equipment to measure nuclear structure properties. The Universities of Bergen and Oslo are involved in basic research projects within nuclear physics, and nuclear methods relevant for reactor technology are used in many branches of science at the Norwegian universities. The Norwegian universities, in close cooperation with Institute for Energy Technology, are able to organize and provide courses in relevant nuclear physics, reactor theory, reactor operation, material science, radiation risk and radiation protection. In addition, there is an EU supported master program in radioecology at the University of Life Sciences. Final Recommendations of the Thorium Report Committee: 1. No technology should be idolized or demonized. All carbon-dioxide (CO2) emission-free energy production technologies should be considered. The potential contribution of nuclear energy to a sustainable energy future should be recognized. 2. An investigation into the resources in the Fen Complex and other sites in Norway should be performed. It is essential to assess whether thorium in Norwegian rocks can be defined as an economical asset for the benefit of future generations. Furthermore, the application of new technologies for the extraction of thorium from the available mineral sources should be studied. 3. Testing of thorium fuel in the Halden Reactor should be encouraged, taking benefit of the well recognized nuclear fuel competence in Halden. 4. Norway should strengthen its participation in international collaborations by joining the Euratom fission program and the GIF program on Generation IV reactors suitable for the use of thorium. 5. The development of an Accelerator Driven System (ADS) using thorium is not within the capability of Norway working alone. Joining the European effort in this field should be considered. Norwegian research groups should be encouraged to participate in relevant international projects, although these are currently focused on waste management. 6. Norway should bring its competence in waste management up to an international standard and collaboration with Sweden and Finland could be beneficial. 7. Norway should bring its competence with respect to dose assessment related to the thorium cycle up to an international standard. 8. Since the proliferation resistance of uranium-233 depends on the reactor and reprocessing technologies, this aspect will be of key concern should any thorium reactor be built in Norway. 9. Any new nuclear activities in Norway, e.g. thorium fuel cycles, would need strong international pooling of human resources, and in the case of thorium, a strong long-term commitment in university education and basic science. All these should be included in the country level strategy aiming to develop new sustainable energy sources. However, to meet the challenge related to the new nuclear era in Europe, Norway should secure its competence within nuclear sciences and 4
Executive Summary nuclear engineering fields. This includes additional permanent staff at the universities and research institutes and appropriate funding for new research and development as well as a high quality research-based Master and PhD education. Concluding Remarks: The Thorium Report Committee finds that the current knowledge of thorium based energy generation and the geology is not solid enough to provide a final assessment regarding the potential value for Norway of a thorium based system for long term energy production. The Committee recommends that the thorium option be kept open in so far it represents an interesting complement to the uranium option to strengthen the sustainability of nuclear energy. 5
Page 1 and 2: 2008 THORIUM AS AN ENERGY SOURCE -
Page 3 and 4: TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents
Page 5 and 6: Table of Contents 14.2 APPENDIX B2:
Page 7 and 8: The Thorium Report Committee was gi
Page 9 and 10: Foreword energy area. The price vol
Page 11 and 12: 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Executive Summ
Page 13: Radiation Protection of Man and the
Page 17 and 18: Introduction In the context of such
Page 19 and 20: 2.3 The EU Situation Introduction T
Page 21 and 22: Oil, Gas, NGL, Condensate (Million
Page 23 and 24: TWh 160 150 140 130 120 110 100 90
Page 25 and 26: Figure 2.8: Number of Operating Rea
Page 27 and 28: Tonnes 1 200 000 1 000 000 800 000
Page 29 and 30: US $ / kg UF 6 160 140 120 100 80 6
Page 31 and 32: 2.8 Worldwide Activities on Thorium
Page 33 and 34: 1. Alkaline complexes and their peg
Page 35 and 36: Thorium Resources in Norway The tho
Page 37 and 38: Thorium Resources in Norway The pot
Page 39 and 40: Thorium Resources in Norway A serie
Page 41 and 42: 4.1.1 Mining and Extraction The Fro
Page 43 and 44: The Front End of the Thorium Fuel C
Page 45 and 46: The Front End of the Thorium Fuel C
Page 47 and 48: 4.3.2 HTGR Fuel Performance The Fro
Page 49 and 50: 5.1 Properties of the Fertile Mater
Page 51 and 52: Nuclear Reactors for Thorium Table
Page 53 and 54: 5.3.1 Light Water Reactor (LWR) Nuc
Page 55 and 56: Nuclear Reactors for Thorium 2. Cyc
Page 57 and 58: 5.3.2.4 Gas Turbine-Modular Helium
Page 59 and 60: Figure 5.7: General Layout of the A
Page 61 and 62: 5.4.2 Generation IV Reactors Nuclea
Page 63 and 64: Nuclear Reactors for Thorium econom
Page 65 and 66:
Nuclear Reactors for Thorium • Ad
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Nuclear Reactors for Thorium temper
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Nuclear Reactors for Thorium Figure
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Nuclear Reactors for Thorium the de
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Nuclear Reactors for Thorium remova
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Nuclear Reactors for Thorium result
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The most important drawbacks of the
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Nuclear Reactors for Thorium mater
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6. THE BACK END OF THE THORIUM FUEL
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The Back End of the Thorium Fuel Cy
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Radiation Protection of Man and the
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Page 93 and 94:
Page 95 and 96:
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8. REGULATION The use of thorium as
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• Safety, security and emergency
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Regulation • The Agreement betwee
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Non-proliferation Nations with secu
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Economical Aspects conventional rea
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11. Radioecology 12. Decommissionin
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Research, Development, Education an
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Page 113 and 114:
Page 115 and 116:
Page 117 and 118:
Conclusions and Recommendations tho
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13. APPENDIX A: INTRODUCTION TO NUC
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14. APPENDIX B: NUCLEAR REACTOR TEC
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Figure 14.3: Boiling Water Reactor
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Appendix B: Nuclear Reactor Technol
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Table 15.1: The Current Course Pack
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• N12 Reactor Thermal Hydraulics,
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16. APPENDIX D: RADIATION PROTECTIO
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Regulations on Radiation Protection
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”Section 4. (Licence for nuclear
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2. Dues shall be paid for the super
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use the best available technology s
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Summary: Legislation that is or may
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216 Po α 0.145 s 6.906 (805) 212 P
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18. ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS Acro
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Po polonium Po-208 polonium-208 Po-
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19. REFERENCES References Chapter 2
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References [35] J.D. SEASE et al.,
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References [68] E. Merle-Lucotte, D
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References [97] "On-going activites
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References [122] L. CINOTTI, “Inh
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References [149] M. Crick, UNSCEAR,
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