India signals energy self-reliance (secret nuclear breakthrough)

[Bhaisahab]

Friday, April 28, 2006 (Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu):

India's fast breeder nuclear reactor promises energy self-reliance and make the nation a nuclear superpower.

NDTV has found that the secretly developed technology would give the capability to sell nuclear fuel to the world.

The prototype unveiled for the first time includes a family of super efficient machines that convert reserves of thorium to nuclear energy.

"India has abundant amount of thorium. We have to have a plan where uranium can be used very effectively and then we can switch on to thorium," said Project Director Prabhat Kumar.

"We can provide the required energy to our people for the next 300-500 years," he added.

CONTINUED:
http://www.ndtv.com/topstories/showtopstory.asp?slug=India+signals+energy+self%2Dreliance&id=19271&category=National

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is this as big as it is made up to be...??

edited to add emphasis.

[laruemtt]

1. if this is true and as big as

it is made up to be, we are once again left in the dust because of our dinosaur mentality 'leaders.' well, hey, at least we got those mangoes.... :sarcasm: (and i love mangoes!)

[Dead_Parrot]

2. Yes and no...

It's not quite as secret as this report makes out (just stick 'thorium Kalpakkam' into google) and there's no sign here they've made a huge recent breakthrough, but they're right about thorium reactors being able to power just about everything for the next 500 years. As a bonus, it's tricky (or impossible, depending who you ask) to get any weapons-grade material from the thorium cycle, so no worries about the NPT.

Let's hope they'll license it back to the rest of us neanderthals... :)

[greenman3610]

3. my biggest objection to N-power is proliferation

If this solves that problem, I would have to take another
look.

[Ganja Ninja]

4. This sounds like a great idea.

From what I'm reading on it there's no chance of a melt down because the reactor is driven by a particle accelerator. Power goes in and more power comes out. It's being call an energy amplifier. The reactor never reaches a critical state without being powered by the accelerator. When the accelerator is turned off the reaction stops. Too cool!

[0007]

5. Bet Pakistan is wondering WTF