{"id":92902,"date":"2026-03-16T09:40:53","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T04:10:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=92902"},"modified":"2026-03-16T11:53:21","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T06:23:21","slug":"thorium-nuclear-energy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/thorium-nuclear-energy\/","title":{"rendered":"Thorium Nuclear Energy: Thorium and India\u2019s 100 GWe Nuclear Power Vision"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>Thorium Nuclear Energy Latest News<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The SHANTI Act 2025 marks a major step in expanding India\u2019s nuclear energy sector by opening it to public and private participation, academia, and industry, while highlighting the need for a supportive regulatory framework.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, India\u2019s planned 100 GWe nuclear capacity by 2047 relies heavily on imported uranium, as domestic reserves are limited.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meeting this target would require 18,000\u201320,000 tonnes of uranium annually, raising concerns about long-term sustainability and global competition for uranium resources.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Thorium Recycling as a Solution to Uranium Constraints<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With global energy demand expected to rise beyond 2047, nuclear power will remain important until alternatives such as fusion become viable.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, reliance on once-through uranium fuel cycles is unsustainable due to limited global reserves.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nuclear fuel recycling can increase the energy extracted from fuel by 50\u2013100 times, but many countries avoid it due to concerns over nuclear weapons proliferation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India\u2019s thorium-based fuel cycle offers a potential solution. With the <\/span><b>largest thorium reserves in the world<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, India could achieve greater energy independence while reducing proliferation risks.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Advancing thorium utilisation therefore requires significant research, innovation, and multidisciplinary collaboration.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Fast Breeder Reactors and Thorium Pathways for India\u2019s Nuclear Future<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India\u2019s nuclear strategy is based on a <\/span><b>three-stage programme<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> designed to utilise its vast thorium resources.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Stage I:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs)<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fuel: Natural Uranium (U-238)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Process: Uses natural uranium to produce electricity and converts into plutonium\u00a0 as a byproduct.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Stage II:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Fast Breeder Reactors (FBRs)<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fuel: Plutonium- 239 (from Stage I) and Uranium- 238.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Process: FBRs produce more fissile material than they consume (breeding), essential for generating the inventory needed for the final stage.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Stage III:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Thorium-Based Reactors<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fuel: Thorium- 232 and Plutonium- 239.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Process: Utilizes thorium-232, which converts into uranium-233 to generate energy, aimed at long-term sustainability.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The next stage involves Fast Breeder Reactors (FBRs), with the 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor nearing completion.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Role of Fast Breeder Reactors<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FBRs are intended to irradiate thorium and produce uranium-233, the key fuel required for the third stage of the nuclear programme.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, large-scale deployment of fast reactors is expected only in the coming decades.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Expanding PHWR Capacity and the 100 GWe Mission<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India\u2019s 100 GWe nuclear energy target by 2047 is currently driven mainly by Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) using imported uranium.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This expansion also creates an opportunity to irradiate thorium within PHWRs, helping produce uranium-233 earlier.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>HALEU\u2013Thorium Fuel as an Alternative Path<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thorium can be used in PHWRs together with High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) without major design changes.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This approach offers advantages such as higher fuel burnup, reduced spent fuel, improved safety, and lower waste management costs.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Developing HALEU\u2013thorium fuel requires accelerated irradiation testing, which India currently lacks. International cooperation and partnerships could help advance research and technology development.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Future Role of SMRs and Advanced Technologies<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India also aims to develop Thorium Molten Salt Reactors (TMSRs) and Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) capable of producing low-cost green hydrogen and supporting the clean energy transition.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Advanced reactors, including metal-fuelled FBRs and SMRs, could use pyrochemical recycling technology to process spent fuel efficiently, strengthening long-term nuclear sustainability.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Toward Energy Independence<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With policy support from the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/the-shanti-act-explained\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>SHANTI Act<\/strong><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, collaboration between government, industry, and academia can accelerate innovation and help India achieve greater energy security and nuclear self-reliance.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Source:<\/b> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-sci-tech\/expert-explains-thorium-india-100-gwe-2047-10564911\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IE<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-economics\/equity-investment-iran-war-uncertainty-nilesh-shah-expert-explains-10583471\/?ref=infinite\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thorium Nuclear Energy could help India achieve its 100 GWe nuclear capacity goal by 2047 by reducing uranium dependence through thorium fuel cycles and advanced reactor technologies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":92923,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[60,6111,22,59],"class_list":{"0":"post-92902","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-mains-articles","9":"tag-thorium-nuclear-energy","10":"tag-upsc-current-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92902","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=92902"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92902\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":92935,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92902\/revisions\/92935"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/92923"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=92902"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=92902"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=92902"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}