Let’s learn a little about Thorium.
Thorium is an element that has garnered attention as an alternative to uranium in nuclear energy production
The Thorium Advantage
Thorium is a radioactive element that has garnered attention as a potential alternative to uranium in nuclear energy production. As a fuel source, thorium offers several advantages over traditional uranium-based reactors. One of the key benefits is its safety profile. Thorium fuel is less likely to experience a meltdown, as it operates at lower pressures and temperatures compared to uranium reactors. Additionally, thorium-based reactors would produce significantly less long-lived nuclear waste, and the waste that is generated would be less toxic. These factors make thorium a promising candidate for a safer, cleaner nuclear future.
Thorium also has a higher energy density than uranium, meaning that reactors powered by thorium would be able to produce more energy with less material. In a typical uranium reactor, the fuel is used up relatively quickly and needs to be replaced or reprocessed. Thorium, however, is capable of breeding more fissile material as it is irradiated, which can make the process more sustainable over time. This ability to "breed" uranium-233, a fissile isotope, from the fertile thorium-232, provides a continuous cycle of energy production, potentially reducing the need for mining and transportation of fuel.
New technology for a new day.
Despite its potential, the use of thorium as a fuel has lagged the conventional alternative. One of the main hurdles is the need for new reactor designs. That’s where Thorium Energy Ventures enters the picture.
There is a vast difference between the use of thorium in conventional technology and its use in Thorium Energy Ventures technology.
One of the key ways Thorium Energy Venture’s technology differs is that the Thorium Reactors are designed to breed artificial uranium-233 from thorium, burn most of that fuel as soon as it is bred, and store the minor amount of unburned fuel.
Additionally, no waste would be produced until the decommissioning at the end of a plants useful life, estimated to be well over 60 years. Any waste remains in the reactor encapsulated in glass with no external storage necessary.
The Thorium Energy Ventures reactor cannot achieve melt-down due to the Thorium fuel cycle differing dramatically from a conventional Uranium reactor. Our reactor takes minutes to shut down as the Thorium fuel cycle requires Neutrons to achieve and maintain the reaction. Once the Neutron source is cut the process shuts down immediately, eliminating the chance of major nuclear incidents as seen in history.