The power strategy

What is preventing the construction of thorium nuclear power plants in the UK?

The question I would like to pose is whether the current power strategy and investment is good value for taxpayers’ money or is just benefitting the profiteering power companies.

We see ever increasing bills due, it is claimed, to the rise in the cost of raw materials and investment in solar, wind and other green power generation that, however, is partly funded by government grants.

Meanwhile we live in the hope of a breakthrough in nuclear fusion that may take as long as fifty years to achieve although there is a flicker of light in the potential use of lasers.

I would like to see an authoritative article on nuclear fission power production using thorium. Why have European plants using thorium been decommissioned and there is no further R & D in Europe on the subject. Thorium fission plants are actively generating energy in India and China is currently constructing thorium plants. I understand that for various technical reasons the material is less dangerous and the waste product far less radioactive than uranium and plutonium.

What is preventing the construction of thorium nuclear power plants in the UK? Is it the vested interests of the power generating companies?

Dr Darius Sepahy, Welwyn, Herts

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