Importance of thorium as alternative energy source and role of Turkey

Abstract

It is estimated that useful life of world's well known petroleum reserves will last 40 years, natural gas will last 61 years and coal reserves will be exhausted in 227 years. Decrease in fossile fuel reserves due to fast consuming and environmental damages due to increasing environmental pollution makes it necessary to orient towards new and renewable energy resources. Natural thorium comprising blend of completely radioactive isotopes was first discovered by Berzelius in 1828 and its radioactivity was revealed by Marie Curie in 1898. Thorium is a metal found in ores such as thorite, thorianite and monazid and it is an important energy source for electronuclear power which is found three times more than uranium. It was proved only in 1993 that thorium may be used as fuel in nuclear reactors. Study on first reactors planned to be commissioned in 2010 is still performed by CERN (European Center for Nuclear Research). With this regards, it is somewhat a raw material of raw material waiting its commissioning time. Thanks to findings obtained from researches on importance of thorium, there are also important determinations. It is possible to convert thorium waste into non-radioactive elements. Due to this feature, thorium is an environment-friendly alternative energy source. Wastes of other elements have hazardous impacts on human health and environment and they cause particularly environmental pollution as they become nuclear waste following use. Moreover, strategic importance of thorium is much increased as it is cheaper than uranium. Scientific findings revealed that thorium has no explosion danger. In other words, accident risk possibly occur in nuclear power plants are minimized. As wastes arising from thorium-based fuels are not convenient for producing weapon, this provides another significant advantage. As a consequence of researches made by Mineral Research & Exploration Institute (MTA) in Turkey by air-prospection method, total thorium reserves found in Sivrihisar district of Eskişehir province, Malatya-Hekimhan-Kuluncak and Beypazari{dotless} district of Ankara province are about 380.000 tones.1 Turkey should necessarily use option of nuclear energy supply in response to rapidly increasing energy demand. Ability to turn thorium resources owned by Turkey into economic added value is possible only by commencement of thorium in nuclear energy generation at international scale. As a consequence, demand to thorium will be matter of rank and position of nuclear energy supply and demand within global energy supply and demand. This study examines role of thorium in nuclear energy generation, conversion of nuclear reactors into thorium-based reactors for safe, clean and sustainable energy and role of Turkey on this issue. © 2009 All Rights Reserved by the International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference SGEM Printed in Sofia, Bulgaria.