Is Asia ready to use thorium as an alternative?

摘要

Far more abundant than once thought, thorium may well provide a future alternative to the traditional nuclear reactor fuel, uranium. Naturally occurring in quantities comparable to lead and three times that of tin, thorium deposits are not difficult to find. As such, some experts predict that thorium will one day replace uranium as the nuclear reactor fuel of choice. But its application comes not without challenges with experts saying that thorium nuclear reactors are decades away from large scale roll-out. For the moment and for the next generation of reactors, well-trusted uranium will remain the fuel of choice.