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Written question asked by Jamie Reed (Labour) on Wednesday, 10 February 2016, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 22 February 2016. It was answered by Andrea Leadsom (Conservative) on Tuesday, 23 February 2016 on behalf of the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Nuclear Reactors: Thorium

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what plans the Government has to support research and development in the use of thorium reactor technology in (a) the UK, (b) the EU and (c) worldwide.

Answer

The UK has been supporting research and development into the use of thorium nuclear fuels since such fuels were used in the Dragon reactor at Winfrith in the 1960s and 1970s.

Examples of current activity on thorium and related technologies include academic research into thorium fuelled reactor systems and fuel cycle processes through Research Council grants to UK universities; collaboration on thorium fuels, via the UK Research Councils’ Energy Programme, with national nuclear energy programmes of other countries on safety, performance and non-proliferation; experimental development of thorium fuels through the UK’s National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) and private sector organisations, as part of international consortia, and thorium fuel modelling and fuel cycle scenario analysis by the NNL. These activities cover UK, EU and worldwide initiatives and receive either financial or strategic support from the Government. The Government plans to continue a similar approach to support future research and development in the use of thorium as a nuclear reactor fuel.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
26937
Session
2015-16
Subjects
Nuclear reactors Thorium
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk