Japan Revival Strategy by Thorium MSR

Transcription

1 Japan Revival Strategy by Thorium MSR Takashi Kamei Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, Japan

2 Thank you to all.

3 We are facing lots of problems Transportation Power generation Global warming China USA Is there a solution?

4 We need clean energy but safe one.

5 INTRODUCTION Third Thorium Energy Alliance Future of Energy Conference, Washington, DC, USA, May 12 th, 2011 How can we answer to this question? It s thorium MSR.

6 Advantages of thorium Thorium itself is; No CO 2 emission Residual of REE Abundant in the world Less amount of radioactive waste No good for nuclear weapon

7 Thorium can be used in Light Water Reactor

8 Isn t LWR suitable for earthquake? Maybe. But most of the world market is out of earthquake.

9 Where is Japan? It s hard to find Japan in the flood of huge earthquakes. Just one lost of emergency cooling caused this catastrophe.

10 What will happen on MSR by earthquake? Core and Loss of emergency cooling Common D/G P Concept Automatically Fall by Gravity (No need of pump and electricity) Moderator Moderator Coolant is Molten-Salt BT is 1430 C degree Operation at 700 C degree Just 0.5MPa Freeze valve (No need of electricity) SAFE No existence of Zr for fuel rod, No existence of H 2 0 for cooling, No production of Hydrogen, No explosion of Hydrogen.

11 How about diffusion of radioactive materials? Moderator Moderator If molten-salt fuel leaks from tanks Coolant is Molten-Salt BT is 1430 C degree MT is 450 C degree SAFE Freeze as glass under MT. Glass is excellent to keep materials in it. Radioactive materials will be kept within this glass. Of course, radiations are emitted around it.

12 What can Japan do by thorium MSR Safe and small reactor should be put at demand side. Its economy must be high enough. If it is cooled without sea water, it is welcome. Such a reactor have to be operated in load following mode. Needless to say, it can not be used for weapon. Thorium MSR is available.

13 How can we achieve a rise of thorium? Fissile U-LWR What? -Short term LWR, HWR etc. (by USA, Canada, EU, China etc.) -Middle term MSR (China, US, EU and Japan?) -Long term Fissile breeding by ADS and nuclear fusion In any case, the most important subject is how to get fissile. When? U-HWR Pu supply Th-LWR Th-HWR 233 U supply Fertile = Thorium Power generation Th-MSR Fissile production by ADS or fusion Breeder

14 Proposal as comprehensive approach Monazite Refine plant Waste Thorium Validation Rare-earth Product Permanent magnet for Motor Thorium is Not a Problem, But a Solution. Electric Vehicle (EV) Plug-in Power supply Residential use Pu in the spent nuclear fuel & weapon head Thorium nuclear power station

15 Global growth of thorium MSR (case 1) 1 1, Electricity Capacity [10 3 GWe] Storage of Spent Fuel [10 3 t] Capacity of MSR by U233 Capacity of MSR by Pu Spent fuel (without MSR) Spent fuel (with MSR) Capacity of LWR Implementation of thorium MSR for the lower LWR scenario. (Predicted by IAEA estimating 510 GWe of electricity capacity around at 2030.)

16 Global growth of thorium MSR (case 2) 1 1, Electricity Capacity [10 3 GWe] Storage of Spent Fuel [10 3 t] Capacity of MSR by U233 Capacity of MSR by Pu Spent fuel (without MSR) Spent fuel (with MSR) Capacity of LWR Implementation of thorium MSR for the constant LWR scenario. (Considering effect of Fukushima Daiichi accident: 370 GWe of LWR till 2030)

17 Of course, this is proposal for Japan s revival September 2, 2010, The Asahi Shimbun

18 Proposal of The Bank Country of rare-earth mining and use, thorium nuclear power Country of THE BANK Country of rareearth use Country of rare-earth mining and use Country of thorium nuclear power Country of rare-earth mining Profit: Security Guarantee Low cost of fuel Profit: Environment Commodity of Th Rare-earth Thorium (Th) Fissile ( 233 U) Debt (Th, 233 U) Return (Th) Interest ( 233 U) Deposit (Th) The Bank THorium Energy Bank Head Office and Local Branches in the world Deposit (Th) Function of The Bank : -Storage (Th, 233 U, FP, TRU) -Reprocessing -Fuel fabrication

19 Smart Grid with thorium utilization Supply Management Demand Renewable Energy - Clean but unstable Mr. Eric Schmidt (CEO of Google) a member of President Obama's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Renewable Energy - Clean but unstable Smart Grid Thorium MSR Coal Fire Plant CCS - Clean and stable IT industry - such as Smart Meter Smart Housing (LED, LCD) Electric Vehicle - Act as buffer Thorium MSR - Load following operation Electricity Supply and Rare-earth production

20 A new model to solve the world problem No nuke weapon (Pu incineration) Support Uranium (Pu in the spent nuclear fuel) Thorium Nuclear Power Promote EV (by rare-earth) earth) Support developing countries (technology support) Climate change (Low-carbon Energy) Thorium MSR revives Japan.

21 Will it come soon?