Nuclear Power Station (Photo credit: caribb)

Advocates of the continuation of Nuclear Power Generation are really having trouble proving their arguments. Existing plants are increasingly dangerous as time goes by, accumulation of extremely dangerous  radioactive wastes is ongoing and worsening.

Suggestions of a new generation of reactors, using Liquid Flouride Thorium as the fuel, on the basis that they are not just comparatively safer but very safe, excite many nuclear enthusiasts. However, there are scientific reasons to not take these assertions at face value.

Problems still exist as explained in this Fairewinds post by “Peggy Conte”.

The latest nuclear power industry proposals focus on smaller reactors and the possibility of thorium fueled reactors. As the nuclear industry explores other fission products, Fairewinds Energy Education has been peppered with hundreds of questions regarding the feasibility and safety of thorium reactors that the nuclear industry is touting as a newer safer form of nuclear power.

The Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor (LFTR) is being sold as a “market based environmental solution” and advertised by the nuclear industry as cheaper than coal. Molten Salt Reactors (MSR) use a molten salt mixture as the primary coolant, and sometimes the molten salt is even mixed directly with thorium in the reactor fuel.

Since Fairewinds has received so many questions regarding Thorium Reactors, let’s look at the facts about Thorium:

Read the whole article here.