Thorium
Thorium is a mineral found in the Earth. It could potentially be used for nuclear power, if the right innovations happen. Breeder reactors would be required.
Abundance
Thorium is far more abundant than uranium-235
- which is what today's nuclear reactors depend on.
Mineral resources are at least as abundant as uranium-238
- which is the most common uranium isotope; also useable by breeder reactors and not conventional reactors.
And it might be even more abundant if extracting thorium from soil turns out to be viable.
Progress
Ongoing research towards building thorium reactors is happening in India.[ELABORATION needed]
External links
- Revisiting Thorium Energy - The Future of Nuclear Power? (video)
- Thorium and the Future of Nuclear Energy (video)
- Thorium (general reading)