The People’s Republic of China has initiated a research and development project in thorium molten-salt reactor technology. A thorium-fueled MSR is best run with uranium-233 fuel, which inevitably contains impurities (uranium-232 and its decay products) that preclude its use in nuclear weapons. Currently there is no US effort to develop a thorium MSR.The LFTR (TMSR) was first developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers between 1950 and 1975. During the last decade by The Reactor Physics Group of the University of Grenoble has renewed TMSR research. This step is highly rational for the Chinese to take. China appears to have a large thorium reserve, much of it now in the form of rare earth mining tailings. LFTRs as so efficient that they could supply China with all the energy it needs for a period of time that could stretch out for millions of years. LFTRs can be factory built and rapidly deployed in Very large numbers. A large scale LFTR program would enable China to replaced fossil fuel energy sources with nuclear power by 2050, if LFTR development had a 20 year gestation period.
There has been a grass-roots effort underway for over five years to change this. Will the US accept the challenge or allow the Chinese to dominate advanced nuclear technology too? Using a technology invented in the US 40 years ago no less! Here is a true "sputnik moment" but it seems we are destined to tilt at windmills.
http://www.itheo.org/
http://www.thoriumenergyalliance.com/
I find the "sputnik moment" reference amusing. Forty years ago, we walked on the moon; today, we are just walking. We have one more shuttle mission we can't seem to get off the ground and rely on the Russians to lift our astronauts into space. The Russians said, "No problem." and increased the price from $20 million to $50 million. Seems more like a "sputteringnik moment."
