engleski

Molten Salt Thorium Reactor - A Promising Nuclear Technology to Stop Global Warming

If we take seriously the repeated demands by IPCC for timely contribution to required reduction of carbon emission we have only few decades to act. Important quantitative results are given in the study of Meinshausen et al. In order to keep global temperature rise till the end of century below 2 °C, with the probability not exceeding this limit of 25% (50%), the world would have to limit cumulative emission in the interval 2000- 2050 to 1000 Gt (1440 Gt). As the emission of CO2 during the interval 2000-2006 amounted to 234 Gt of CO2 we can appreciate the magnitude of the problem. Assuming continuation of average annual emission of 36.3 Gt we would exhaust emission budget by 2027 respectively by 2039 (for 50% limit). Other studies by leading climatologists are supporting time available for effective action or even shortening it. In our recent paper we explored a potential of the proven light water reactors without fuel reprocessing and plutonium recycle to contribute essentially to reduction of carbon emission. We selected developed and established nuclear technology because it is available now, in spite of the economic and conceptual limitations. Thus we built on the results of 2010 study determining the maximum nuclear contribution possible with light water reactors of Generation 3+ assuming complete consumption of uranium reserves as estimated in 2008 in the years 2025- 2065. It turns out that by 2065 that strategy can give a very significant nuclear carbon free share of about 39% in the projected 2065 “business as usual” energy consumption. We discussed very briefly the question how to proceed after 2065. One possibility would be sodium cooled Fast Breeder Reactors (FBR) to be launched with plutonium accumulated in the operation of LWR reactors until and after 2056. In our judgement advantage would have Molten Salt Thorium Reactors (MSTR), one of Generation 4 selection, having outstanding research and development attention. Early development, dated from the years 1964-69, with their superior safety properties and also the fact elaborated below that they could be introduced earlier than possible long term alternative FBR reactors. MSTR reactors could be introduced on the large scale about 2045, due to smaller fissile launching requirement. A transition to thorium fuel after 2045 would remove fuel limitation to practically any foreseeable time.

molten salt reactor; thorium; nuclear energy strategies

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