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Can Thorium be the answer to South Africa’s energy and water crisis? The Chairman of Steenkampskraal Thorium Limited, Mr. Trevor Blech, was interviewed by CNBC Africa's Nozipho Mbanjwa on the subject.
From Steenkampskraal Thorium Ltd, Mr. Blech’s answer to the question is ‘Yes’.
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Perhaps the most important thing to realize about thorium is the immense power that can be released from it, which is a million times more per kilo than burning fossil fuels
Mr. Blech’s answer to the question is ‘Yes’, ‘In South Africa, we have enough thorium to power the entire country for a hundred years’, estimates Mr. Blench. He is working on many fronts to achieve this goal and solve the energy and water problems for South Africa. Given that there is only a bit of curiosity from policy makers, and knowledge amongst the ordinary consumers on the subject is low, he is patient and realizes the process will take some years.
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From Steenkampskraal Thorium Ltd, Mr. Blech’s answer to the question is ‘Yes’.
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However, the process is already well underway. Thor Energy in Norway, where Steenkampskraal is part owner, is the first company in the world manufacturing thorium fuel with the aim to have it qualified and licensed in an estimated three years. After the fuel is licensed in Norway, it still needs to be licensed in South Africa. Mr. Blench is already in talks with the National Nuclear Regulator, and hopes the process will be commenced before the end of this year. A license to operate the company’s gas cooled reactor is also needed.
Mr. Blench also believes thorium energy will be generated with a lower cost than burning uranium. First of all, there’s plenty more of thorium in the world than uranium. Secondly, the cost of managing the nuclear waste will be considerably lower due to thorium’s favorable characteristics. But it’s not the abundance and cost savings which Mr. Blench finds the most important consideration. ‘Perhaps the most important thing to realize about thorium is the immense power that can be released from it, which is a million times more per kilo than burning fossil fuels’, summarizes Mr. Blench. What does Thorium have to do with solving the country’s - and the world’s for that matter - water crisis then? The small modular reactor Steenkampskraal plans to use to generate thorium energy, can also clean, purify and desalinate water very efficiently. By the time Mr. Blech is finished with his project, thorium could play a key strategic role in South Africa’s energy mix. By then, he expects the interest and awareness has risen globally as well. But will this form of nuclear energy be licensed in time and will it be welcomed as an attractive solution?
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