Leveraging India’s Thorium Reserves

Why in News?

The Government has replied in Parliament about India’s roadmap to expand nuclear power capacity to 100 GW by 2047, harnessing its abundant thorium reserves through the 3-Stage Nuclear Power Programme.

• Thorium – It is a naturally occurring, weakly radioactive, silvery-white metal found in rocks and soil (Th, atomic number 90).
• Nuclear Potential – Thorium is fertile, meaning it is not fissile on its own but can be converted into the fissile isotope uranium-233 through neutron bombardment in a reactor.
• Abundance – It is found in trace amounts in most rocks and soils. The primary commercial source is the mineral monazite, found in India, Brazil, Australia, and the USA.
• Thorium Reserves in India –
  • An estimated 13.15 million tonnes of monazite are found in coastal beach and red sands (Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat).
  • Inland deposits are also found in Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu.
  • Monazite sands contain 9–10% thorium oxide.
  • Total reserves – Approx 1.04 million tonnes thorium metal or Approx 1.18 million tonnes thorium oxide.

Key Highlights of Nuclear Expansion Roadmap

• India currently operates 25 nuclear power plants with a combined capacity of 8,880 MW.
• Current capacity target – It is planned to be increased to about 22 GW by 2031-32 on progressive completion of projects under implementation.
• Long-term vision – 100 GW by 2047.
• Thorium Utilisation – India has limited uranium but abundant thorium; it must be converted into Uranium-233 before use.
• The 3-Stage Programme ensures optimal use of uranium while preparing for large-scale thorium deployment.
• Three-Stage Nuclear Programme -
  • Stage 1 - Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) using natural uranium.
  • Stage 2 - Fast Breeder Reactors (FBRs) using plutonium from PHWR spent fuel.
  • Stage 3 - Thorium-based reactors using Uranium-233 bred from thorium, once sufficient FBR capacity is achieved.
• Current Projects – BHAVINI is commissioning a 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu.
• Approval granted for 2 × 500 MWe twin FBR units (FBR 1&2) at Kalpakkam.
• Community Engagement – BHAVINI is conducting CSR and outreach activities to build local trust. The public and students are educated on nuclear safety features and the benefits of nuclear energy.

References

1. PIB | Leveraging India’s Thorium Reserves
2. PIB | Thorium based Reactors