ThorEA - Towards an Alternative Nuclear Future.pdf

Chapter 2: Thorium-fuelled ADSR technology in a UK context continued
Energy % of R&D budget in 2005
20% £5,000
16%
Budget %
£million
£4,000
12% £3,000
8% £2,000
4% £1,000
0% £0
UK Germany France Italy Japan Canada USA
Figure 6. Comparison of R&D expenditure in energy for different
OECD countries, in 2005 (ONS. SET Statistics, 2008).
In the absence of evidence that this paucity of private
investment is to be reversed it is important that robust
mechanisms are established to decarbonise power, prevent
shortages (which would be politically very damaging), and
build new value-adding industries.
Not only would investment in thorium-fuelled ADSRs
reinvigorate an indigenous UK nuclear industry, it would
create an ancillary particle accelerator industry capable of
producing and exporting off-the-shelf high power particle
accelerators for both ADSR drivers and for unrelated
industries (e.g. medical therapy, isotope production,
ion implantation, etc).
20 Towards an Alternative Nuclear Future
Energy R&D expenditure in 2005
(£million)
2.5 Alignment of the deployment of thorium-fuelled
ADSR technology with UK Government policy
In the recently released document ‘The Road to 2010’ the
Government sets out its nuclear vision and plans. Not only are
three of the central objectives very closely aligned with the
proposed thorium-fuelled ADSR programme, the latter will
facilitate the achievement of the Government’s objectives.
Namely, with reference to the chapter numbers within the
‘Road to 2010’:
1.3 ‘The UK Government believes not only that there
is a recognised right for all sovereign states to the
peaceful use of nuclear power, but that it is necessary
to expand access to civil nuclear energy.’
1.4 ‘In expanding the use of nuclear power in the twenty
first century we must not enhance the risk of further
proliferation of nuclear weapons.’
1.6 ‘The issue of nuclear disarmament must be addressed.
Nuclear weapon states, including the UK, have a
duty to work to create the conditions where further
reductions in levels of nuclear weapons can take place.’
Indeed ‘The Government will strongly support work to further
develop proliferation resistant nuclear technology that will
improve international access to the peaceful use of nuclear
energy’, and would expect to work closely with the proposed
Nuclear Centre of Excellence.
‘The Road to 2010’ was preceded by the 2008 White Paper on
Nuclear Power which sets out the actions taken to facilitate
investment in civil nuclear power. The outcomes of the
thorium-fuelled ADSR development programme would also
be fully aligned with this White Paper.