Thorium power
About
Nuclear power derived from thorium is apparently both safer and more potent than conventional (uranium) nuclear power. Despite this, there are no thorium nuclear power plants currently in operation.
The story is that during the cold war, when the United States was first investigating nuclear power, they had a choice between thorium and uranium. Uranium produces plutonium, which is highly toxic but can be used for nuclear weapons, as a byproduct. This concern apparently trumped both safety and efficiency, so the US put all their development resources into uranium nuclear, leading to the nuclear power plants we have today.
As of 2010, a Virginia-based company called Lightbridge has designed a nuclear fuel assembly designed for existing reactors of a particular type ("light water") but using thorium as its primary fuel.
Links
to file
- 2010-10-20 The Truth About Thorium and Nuclear Power