Thorium energy is a proven technology which offers to meet the world's energy demands for many centuries, at a price cheaper than coal.
Welcome to IThEO. Our organisation campaigns for Thorium energy production. IThEO is a member driven, non-profit organisation and welcomes all those interested to listen, support and join us for free.
Welcome to IThEO's news section where we will post the latest news in Thorium energy developments from other organisations and news sources.
March 4 2010
“The amount of time we need to watch over nuclear waste is longer than the longest-lived human civilization - including China.”
This fact is reminded to us by Dr. Philip Neches, a Trustee of the California Institute of Technology, in his article 'Back to School on Nuclear Power', for the Huffington Post. And this is one of the many reasons why IThEO supports liquid thorium energy (LFTR). Waste from thorium is only radioactive for 300 years, and what is equally amazing is the volume of waste. An entire lifetime's liquid thorium energy production for an average western person would deliver only 80 grams (0.18 pounds) of radioactive waste for 10 years, and 20 grams (0.044 pounds) for 300 years. These are tiny, manageable amounts and short term commitments when compared with the waste of conventional production methods.
In his article Dr. Neches highlights the urgency for technological education funding in the US:
“Anyone who seriously believes that the United States should build more new nuclear power plants should start with revitalizing nuclear engineering at our colleges and universities. The best way to have more nuclear power plants is to go back to school.”
Dr. Neches makes a very valid point. We must re-evaluate our knowledge, understanding and teaching of nuclear energy. And we should expect that students new to nuclear energy will be learning keenly about thorium energy.
Another story clearly illustrating the necessity for us to re-evaluate our understanding of nuclear power, is the Olkiluoto 3 reactor in Finland. The first license application for this plant was made in December 2000, with power production scheduled to begin in May 2009. But the plant is over three years behind schedule and more than 50 percent over-budget. This is not an encouraging story for governments around the world who are looking for energy solutions.
However, there is great hope amongst those who are in the know. IThEO believes concerted international efforts on developing a blueprint thorium reactor, which would then be mass produced, could be achieved within ten years, less time than has already been spent on the Finish reactor. This speed of delivery is made possible by the fact that a thorium reactor is much smaller and fundamentally easier to manage.
Back to School on Nuclear Power, The Huffington Post
Dr. Philip Neches, The Huffington Post
Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant, Wikipedia
In Finland, Nuclear Renaissance Runs Into Trouble, The New York Times
20 February 2010
Ben Buchwalter is an editorial fellow at Mother Jones and he is the author of a thorium energy article on change.org, 'Thorium: Nuclear Energy's Clean Little Secret'.
Change.org is a social entrepreneurship venture based in San Francisco, CA, championing positive social activism.
Ben simply summarises the history of thorium energy, saying, “Before it was born, thorium was killed by the sins of uranium.”
“Democrats and Republicans alike are voicing full-throated support for dirty nuclear just because it's what we know, when thorium is clearly a better alternative.”
And he quotes senator Orrin Hatch (who introduced the 'Thorium Energy Independence and Security Act of 2008')
“I don't know of anything more beneficial to the country, as far as environmentally sound power, than nuclear energy powered by thorium.”
With the trajectory of interest in thorium energy right now, here at IThEO, we feel “little and secret” will be a short lived description.
Thorium: Nuclear Energy's Clean Little Secret, Change.org, by Ben Buchwalter
16 February 2010 (updated 20 February 2010)
CNN reports Bill Gates received a standing ovation at this year's TED Conference in Long Beach, California. The TED conferences 'bring together the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes).' Gates' captive audience included high profile guests: former vice president Al Gore and Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Google themselves are taking a strong interest in new energy technologies, as we reported last month. They will be hosting the Thorium Energy Alliance Conference (TEAC2) at Googleplex.
In his presentation, Gates summarised the world's energy problems, saying, "What we're going to have to do at a global scale is create a new system... So we need energy miracles."
An 'energy portfolio' was suggested by Gates, containing five technologies. However his speech did put particular emphasis on a nuclear technology which would consume spent uranium fuel rods. Gates told the audience that the technology could power the world indefinitely, and the U.S. for 100 years, using just the spent fuel rods already in its possession. The technology is possible; it is funding that is required. Gates said he is investing in a venture called TerraPower which will develop this 'Traveling-Wave Reactor' technology. Interestingly for us here at IThEO, this same technology could also be utilised to make power from thorium.
Gates said if he could wish for anything in the world, he would wish for energy that is half as expensive as coal and doesn't warm the planet.
TED have now made Gates' speech available for viewing on their website. In one further encouraging quote, Gates mentions liquid reactor technology:
“There are some innovations in nuclear, there is modular, there is liquid, and innovation really stopped in this industry quite some time ago, so the idea that there are some ideas laying around is not all that surprising.” (video 13:30)
CNN, Bill Gates: We need global "energy miracles"
The Gates Notes, Talking about Energy at TED
technologyreview.com, TR10: Traveling-Wave Reactor
Intellectual Ventures Lab, Bill Gates on Nuclear Energy
3 February 2010, The White House
The objective of a new Blue Ribbon Commission is to provide recommendations on managing used fuel and nuclear waste. In light of the Administration’s decision not to proceed with the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository, President Obama has directed Secretary Chu to establish the Commission to conduct a comprehensive review of policies for managing the 'back end' of the nuclear fuel cycle.
We recommend a new solution for the front end of the fuel cycle, which would make the US energy independent and solve the back end waste problem. The solution of course is Molten Salt Thorium Energy also called Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor (MSTR or LFTR).
Encouragingly President Obama's memorandum begins:
“Expanding our Nation's capacity to generate clean nuclear energy is crucial to our ability to combat climate change, enhance energy security, and increase economic prosperity.”
There are some concerns whether this commission contains all the right people to make decisions which could have long lasting repercussions. One well qualified commissioner is Per Peterson, Professor and Chair in the Department of Nuclear Engineering, at the University of California. He is technically well informed about thorium solutions and is currently researching molten salt technology.
Per Peterson will attend the thorium energy conference at Googleplex (TEAC2) end of March, and hopefully deliver a speach.
Briefing on LFTR by Per Peterson
Presidential Memorandum -- Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future, The White House, President Barack Obama
Secretary Chu Announces Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future, US Department of Energy, Secretary of Energy Steve Chu
20 January 2010 (updated 3 February 2010)
The second TEA Conference on thorium energy will be held on Monday 29th and Tuesday 30th of March 2010 at the Google headquarters in Mountain View, California (The Googleplex).
To attend this conference, you must sign up through the Thorium Energy Alliance, via their website or email: thoriumenergyalliance [at] gmail [dot] com
Since places are limited, the Thorium Energy Alliance ask that you give your contact details, and offer a little information about your expertise and how you are, or could be, involved in the Thorium movement.
Press and Educational passes can also be requested via email.
Thorium Energy Alliance conference page
3 February 2010, Number10.gov.uk
The UK government website number10.gov.uk has posted a new 'e-petition' calling for a "crash program to provide a far safer method of nuclear power using molten salt and thorium."
The petition is submitted by a Mr. Chris Camacho. The deadline for signees is 18 May 2010. We urge all our friends and members from the UK to sign the petition as soon as possible!
26 December 2009, The Huffington Post
Steve Kirsch (inventor, entrepreneur and philanthropist) is the author of The Most Important Investment that We Aren't Making to Mitigate the Climate Crisis in The Huffington Post. It says: “...the Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor (LFTR) are in the wings.” and further he states: “Copenhagen has proven yet again that agreements to reduce emission won't work. Therefore, an economic solution is the only option left.”
Thorium energy is cheaper than energy from coal, in fact there is more energy in the form of thorium in coal ashes than in coal itself.
Coal Combustion: Nuclear Resource or Danger a review by Alex Gabbard says: “Consequently, the energy content of nuclear fuel released in coal combustion is more than that of the coal consumed!”
The Most Important Investment that We Aren't Making to Mitigate the Climate Crisis The Huffington Post
Coal Combustion: Nuclear Resource or Danger ORNL Review
Coal Ash is More Radioactive than Nuclear-waste Scientific American
8 January 2010, Indian Express
India, with the ambition of becoming a world leader in thorium energy, has uniquely been developing a fuel cycle on thorium to exploit its reserves. Now Anil Kakodkar, former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, plans to associate himself with the Mumbai-based Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and focus on issues of use of thorium for generating energy.
The question arise: are they correctly informed about the liquid fuel version for thorium energy production?
Thorium-based energy our next challenge: Kakodkar, Indian Express
Thorium reactors more secure: Kakodkar, The Hindu
5 January 2010, The Huffington Post
The much visited Huffington Post has the article There is Something About Thorium. The author Patrick Kenji Takahashi (author of Simple Solutions: For Planet Earth) who also wrote Renewable Electricity is Our Only Viable Option has been working in the field of energy, amongst others at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory on laser fusion and he says:“I don't previously remember the thorium option being even discussed”.
There is Something About Thorium, The Huffington Post.
21 December 2009, Wired Magazine
The much appreciated magazine Wired has a well written article called Uranium Is So Last Century - Enter Thorium, the New Green Nuke. It argues for both molten salt thorium reactors and the short cut to the market of mixing thorium in today's solid fuels. It says: “The thorium battalion is small, but - as nuclear physics demonstrates - tiny forces can yield powerful effects.” Later it reads: “It is only thorium, Sorensen and his band of revolutionaries argue, that can move the country toward a new era of safe, clean, affordable energy.” Go get the Wired for interesting reading!
The Wired Magazine, January 2010 issue, Uranium Is So Last Century - Enter Thorium, the New Green Nuke by Richard Martin
10 December 2009, The Economist
The article, Nuclear's next generation, points out that Dwight Eisenhower's “Atoms for Peace” in the 1950s implied that “Designs were favoured that could create weapons-grade material as well as electricity”. Further it describes the different generations of development and the fourth generation concepts. Kirk Sorensen who was interviewed for the article says “natural thorium provides at least 250 times more energy per unit than natural uranium”.
Nuclear's next generation, The Economist.
The recently passed fiscal 2010 U.S. National Defense Authorization act initially contained a mandate for the Department of Defense to study thorium. The initial section called for the secretary of defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to “jointly carry out a study on the use of thorium-liquid fueled nuclear reactors for naval power needs.” This provision was added to the bill by Congressman Joe Sestak of Pennsylvania but is absent from the final version of the bill.
Congressman Joe Sestak is a strong supporter of liquid thorium for energy production.
DefenseNews.com covers the issue in the article A Metal for the U.S. Navy.
24 November 2009, The Washington Post
The Washington Post article “Nuclear Power Regains Support“ describes how the usual opponents have changed opinion and are becoming more “pragmatic” about nuclear power. It says “Even green groups see it as 'part of the answer'”.
Al Gore told The Washington Post's editorial board:“I'm assuming the waste and safety problems get resolved, but cost and proliferation still loom as very serious problems”... “I am not anti-nuclear, but the costs of the present generation of reactors is nearly prohibitive.”
“Nuclear Power Regains Support”, The Washington Post, By Anthony Faiola
On national Swedish television channel SVT, Sven Kullander, the chairman of The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Energy Committee, discussed 'fourth generation reactors' on a program entitled 'Grön el - finns det?' ('Green Electricity - does it exist?'). Mr. Kullander discussed thorium energy as a solution to creating energy for thousands of years, with waste that would only last for 300. Interestingly he also voiced the possibilities of 'molten salt' for storing energy from the sun. The program can be watched again here until 9 Dec 2009.
(The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences is responsible for the Nobel prize in physics and chemistry. Jöns Jacob Berzelius, who discovered thorium, was the Academy's secretary from 1818 to 1848. He is credited with revitalizing the Academy and bringing it into a second golden era.)
Sven Kullander Green Electricity - does it exist?
16 November 2009, C&EN
C&EN (Chemical & Engineering News) today published an article on thorium energy entitled 'Reintroducing Thorium', summarising its history and the growing swell of interest. The article's author, Mitch Jacoby, previously wrote an article for C&EN called 'Coming Back to Nuclear Energy'. He says he knew nothing about nuclear energy when being asked to write the first article, so thorium energy was not discussed! However, soon after publication he received an e-mail asking why 'thorium as a potential solution to our current and future energy problems' was left out.
“After a quick Google search - late at night - I found interesting reading material and stayed up and kept on reading... It's quite an interesting topic!” Mitch says.
Carlo Rubbia's thorium energy presentation is now available. Of particular note, one slide 'Molten Salt Systems (Alvin Weinberg)' presents the systems as 'critical or sub-critical?'. Carlo Rubbia is a Nobel Prize winner for his work at CERN, and is a member of the Advisory Group on Climate Change for EU.
Sub-critical Thorium reactors PDF (1.1MB)
All Energy2050 PDF presentations
The first thorium energy conference, in Washington D.C. last month, was well attended and received. The conference covered a broad range of topics, from the history of thorium energy to its deployment strategies. Below is a list of PDF presentations from www.energyfromthorium.com.
4-7 October 2010, ZKM, Karlsruhe, Germany
Nuclear Materials 2010 is an international conference in association with the Journal of Nuclear Materials. Molten salts as a fuel carrier and as a means to burn waste is one of the event's six topics.
'Molten Salts for Nuclear Applications (MSNA) which will deal with actinides and lanthanides molten salts for reprocessing and fuel.'
www.nuclearmaterials2010.com
October 19 - 20 2009, Kellogg Conference Center
The Thorium Energy Conference 2009 is being held at Gallaudet University, Washington D.C.. We expect technical as well as political advancement since this campaign is of dual nature. You can download a PDF of the conference from the link below.
Thorium Energy Conference PDF (868kb)
(Right-click and select 'Download' to save the file.)
October 20 2009, Energy 2050
Carlo Rubbia, 1984 Nobel Laureate Physics, will be speaking about Thorium energy in Stockholm at the Energy 2050 conference. This is a preparatory presentation for political decision makers, ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference Copenhagen 2009.
www.energy2050.se
Carlo Rubbia presents 'Abstract' at Energy 2050
If you would like to support and help IThEO, or if you would just like to follow our progress, you are very welcome to join us.
IThEO is now organising the Thorium Energy Conference 2010. Please email us if you would like to contribute or participate, info@itheo.org
Sign the e-petition for molten salt and thorium energy.
Thorium energy petition
IThEO is a sister organisation of the Thorium Energy Alliance
“I can still remember the thrill that came with my realization that the breeder meant inexhaustible energy.”
“I became obsessed with the Idea that humankind's whole future depended on the breeder.”
Alvin Weinberg
“No endeavor that is worthwhile is simple in prospect; if it is right, it will be simple in retrospect.”
Edward Teller
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Admiral Hyman G. Rickover