Overview of the Thorium Programme in India

The use of thorium is necessary from a long-term objective of sustainability of nuclear energy resources in India. Its use requires reprocessing to separate the fissile 233U for sustained operation using 232Th–233U. Over the years, owing to sustained technology developmental initiatives, India has gained significant experience in all aspects of the thorium fuel cycle. In addition to briefly explaining advantages and challenges of thorium fuel cycle, this paper covers the Indian experiences in this direction. It also briefly describes the designs of Indian reactors based on thorium fuel cycle, for example, the Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR), as well as conceptual designs of proposed future reactor systems.