IMPORTANCE OF THORIUM AS ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCE AND ROLE OF TURKEY

9th International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference - SGEM2009, www.sgem.org, SGEM2009 Conference Proceedings/ ISBN 10: 954-91818-1-2, June 14-19, 2009, Vol. 2, 429-430 pp

ABSTRACT /Full article not available/

It is estimated that useful life of world’s well known petroleum reserves will last 40
years, natural gas will last 61 years and coal reserves will be exhausted in 227 years.
Decrease in fossile fuel reserves due to fast consuming and environmental damages due
to increasing environmental pollution makes it necessary to orient towards new and
renewable energy resources.

Natural thorium comprising blend of completely radioactive isotopes was first
discovered by Berzelius in 1828 and its radioactivity was revealed by Marie Curie in
1898. Thorium is a metal found in ores such as thorite, thorianite and monazid and it is
an important energy source for electronuclear power which is found three times more
than uranium. It was proved only in 1993 that thorium may be used as fuel in nuclear
reactors. Study on first reactors planned to be commissioned in 2010 is still performed
by CERN (European Center for Nuclear Research). With this regards, it is somewhat a
raw material of raw material waiting its commissioning time.

Thanks to findings obtained from researches on importance of thorium, there are also
important determinations. It is possible to convert thorium waste into non-radioactive
elements. Due to this feature, thorium is an environment-friendly alternative energy
source. Wastes of other elements have hazardous impacts on human health and
environment and they cause particularly environmental pollution as they become
nuclear waste following use. Moreover, strategic importance of thorium is much
increased as it is cheaper than uranium. Scientific findings revealed that thorium has no
explosion danger. In other words, accident risk possibly occur in nuclear power plants
are minimized. As wastes arising from thorium-based fuels are not convenient for
producing weapon, this provides another significant advantage.

As a consequence of researches made by Mineral Research & Exploration Institute
(MTA) in Turkey by air-prospection method, total thorium reserves found in Sivrihisar
district of Eskişehir province, Malatya-Hekimhan-Kuluncak and Beypazarı district of
Ankara province are about 380.000 tones.1

Turkey should necessarily use option of nuclear energy supply in response to rapidly
increasing energy demand. Ability to turn thorium resources owned by Turkey into economic added value is possible only by commencement of thorium in nuclear energy
generation at international scale. As a consequence, demand to thorium will be matter of
rank and position of nuclear energy supply and demand within global energy supply and
demand.

This study examines role of thorium in nuclear energy generation, conversion of nuclear
reactors into thorium-based reactors for safe, clean and sustainable energy and role of
Turkey on this issue.

Keywords: Thorium, Turkey, Environment, Energy