Why is it in the news?
- Clean Core Thorium Energy, a Chicago-based company, has developed Advanced Nuclear Energy for Enriched Life (ANEEL), a new nuclear fuel combining Thorium and High Assay Low Enriched Uranium (HALEU).
| HALEU
· HALEU is defined as uranium enriched between 5% and less than 20% of the U-235 isotope. · It is crucial for advanced nuclear reactor designs, although not widely available commercially. |
More about the news
- ANEEL can be utilized in existing Pressurized Heavy-Water Reactors (PHWRs), making it compatible with India’s indigenous reactor system.
- Offers a quicker and more accessible alternative for deploying thorium, especially in nations lacking infrastructure for other green energy sources.
- Reduces operation costs and nuclear waste significantly compared to natural uranium.
- ANEEL fuel bundles have a longer lifespan and burn more efficiently.
- The spent ANEEL fuel cannot be repurposed for weapons, ensuring non-proliferation.
| About Thorium in India
· India has the world’s largest reserves of Thorium, estimated at 1.07 million tonnes, contained in the natural mineral monazite. · Monazite, a thorium-bearing mineral, is found in sand deposits. · DAE has established 11.93 million tonnes of in situ resources of Monazite in India, containing about 1.07 million tonnes of thorium. · Utilizing this thorium can position India to produce substantial green energy, potentially enabling the country to achieve net-zero emissions by the targeted year 2070. |
