Scoping Study of a Thorium Reactor Driven by PWR-Derived Plutonium

Abstract

This paper investigates the potential uranium savings from operating thorium-fuelled CANDU© reactors driven by PWR-derived plutonium and recycled 233U. Because 233U production in the thorium fuels is optimized at lower exit burnups, less external fissile driver material is required for the operation of the thorium reactors and natural uranium savings of the overall fuel cycle are increased. Assuming the same exit burnup is achieved by reactors with Pu+Th fuel and reactors with 233U+Pu+Th fuel, it was determined that a 40 MWd/kg exit burnup yielded a 52% savings of natural uranium, compared to a scenario in which all power came from PWRs, while a 20 MWd/kg exit burnup increased the savings to 75%.