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India to use mineral thorium in nuclear power plants

BOMBAY: Nuclear scientists will begin using more thorium in nuclear power plants because India’s uranium reserves are dwindling, the director of the country’s top nuclear body said on Friday. “We have large thorium reserves,” said S. Banerjee, who took charge of the Bhabha Atomic Research Center on Friday. “It’s enough to give energy security to this country.” Indian scientists often speak of exploiting India’s vast reserves of thorium, a mineral found on the beaches of southern Kerala state, to fuel nuclear power plants in this energy-starved country. However, the technology for using thorium in nuclear reactors is still in its infancy and Banerjee said it would take at least a decade to use substantial amounts of the mineral to generate power. Currently, India’s 14 nuclear reactors generate 2,720 megawatts of power and are mainly fueled by uranium, but those lower-grade reserves are quickly being depleted. The development of new reactor systems using thorium is key to increasing the share of nuclear power in India’s electricity production, Banerjee said. —AP

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