The Engineer recently asked its readers to submit questions for an expert panel. They have now published the answers to a wide variety of questions like: Do you see thorium reactors as a long-term solution to our energy needs or as more of a stop-gap until a cleaner/more affordable technology comes along? Could thorium-fuelled reactors use nuclear waste in their fuel? |
The panel comprises the following experts: • Julian Kelly, chief technology officer for Thor Energy, a Norwegian firm developing and testing thorium-plutonium (Th-MOX) fuels for use in commercial light water reactors (LWRs) • David Martin, deputy director of research at the Weinberg Foundation, a not-for-profit thorium lobby group • Fiona Rayment, director of fuel cycle solutions at the UK’s National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) • Kirk Sorensen, founder of US firm Flibe Energy, which aims to build a demonstration liquid-thorium-fuelled reactor (LFTR). Remember that the persons in the panel have different reactor types in mind when they answer the same questions. This gives rise to what seems to be a very wide spread of parameters in their answers. Your questions answered: thorium-powered nuclear published by The ENGINEER |