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Thorium is not new for Areva. Indeed, it has researched Thorium fuels since the 1970’s. Now, Areva has joined forces with the Belgian chemical company Solvay on an R&D programme focused on medium-term Thorium valorization in nuclear power, geared towards first phase of fuel development with irradiation by 2020.
Mr. Thierry Delloye from Solvay and Mr. Luc Van Den Durpel from Areva at ThEC13 in Geneva.
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Areva and Solvay welcome R&D-organisations and other companies for collaboration. |
Thorium is not new for Areva. Indeed, it has researched Thorium fuels since the 1970’s. Now, Areva has joined forces with the Belgian chemical company Solvay on an R&D programme focused on medium-term Thorium valorization in nuclear power, geared towards first phase of fuel development with irradiation by 2020.
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The companies investigate Thorium fuel options as a complement to the U/Pu cycle in an international context, and address a holistic Thorium management providing industrial solutions to those requiring and considering valorization of Thorium both in rare earth as in nuclear energy market.
Mr. Thierry Delloye from Solvay and Mr. Luc Van Den Durpel from Areva at ThEC13 in Geneva.
In his presentation at the Thorium Energy Conference 2013 (ThEC13) in Geneva, Mr. Luc Van Den Durpel, Vice President of Corporate R&D at Areva, presented an ‘Industrial View on Thorium: Possibilities, Challenges and Paths Forward’. Mr. Van Den Durpel maintained a skeptical tone throughout his presentation and stated, that Thorium use in nuclear power will only occur if a government drives a large Thorium fuel and reactor R&D programme with a long-term vision.
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Nuclear and Chemistry Giants Join Forces
Also, he believes that a transition, if desired, to go towards 100% Thorium will take decades at least. The co-operation with Solvay starts with a more medium-term goal, however, and aims at using Thorium as a complement to uranium. Areva and Solvay welcome R&D-organisations and other companies for collaboration.
is a French public multinational industrial conglomerate, headquartered in Paris. The company is mainly known for nuclear power, although it also pursues interests in other energy projects. It is the only company with a presence in each industrial activity linked to nuclear energy: mining, chemistry, enrichment, fuel assembly, reprocessing, engineering, nuclear propulsion and reactors, treatment, recycling, stabilization, and dismantling. Areva had revenue of € 8.872 billion in 2011, and it has 47,541 employees.
is a Belgian chemical company founded in 1863. At one point it was the largest multinational company in the world. In 2012, it realized 12.8 billion € in revenues with 29,100 employees. In 2011 Solvay acquired Rhodia, which has a Rare Earth division.
Solvay is particularly famous for its Fifth Solvay International Conference on Electrons and Photons. This is where the world's most notable physicists met to discuss the newly formulated quantum theory. The leading figures were Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr. Einstein, disenchanted with Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, remarked "God does not play dice". Bohr replied, "Einstein, stop telling God what to do". 
The famous Fifth Solvay Conference held in 1927 and regarded as a turning point for physics.
17 of the 29 attendees (see picture) were or became Nobel Prize winners, including Marie Curie, who alone among them won a Nobel Prize in two separate scientific disciplines. One of them was for her research on the radiation phenomena of thorium amongst other elements.
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Below you find the video of Mr. Van Den Durpel’s presentation at ThEC13 in Geneva.
Mr. Luc Van Der Durpels presentation An Industrial View on Thorium Possibilities Challenges and Paths Forward can be viewed and downloaded by simply clicking on the title. Updated 2014-01-10: Solvay and AREVA join their expertise in the development of new applications for thorium published by Solvay |