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It's a shame that India hasn't jumped on the Thorium train. India has plenty of Thorium (some call India the "Saudi Arabia of Thorium"). India desperately needs

It's a shame that India hasn't jumped on the Thorium train. India has plenty of Thorium (some call India the "Saudi Arabia of Thorium"). India desperately needs to shut down its coal power plants and replace them with something safer (like a Thorium reactor)

nine_k 5y ago
That would require really powerful industry, and political will. While the former may be more or less present, the latter is apparently concentrated on totally different issues.
- mynameismon 5y ago
  More than political will, it requires co-operation from the people. If you do not convince people that a thorium reactor is safe and necessary, the progress on the reactor will be stalled by public protests and frivolous lawsuits. By the time work actually begins, elections will be around the corner and you will be soon voted out of power to be replaced by someone who's sole motive will be to reverse all the work done for reactor.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
adrianN 5y ago
It is my understanding that India's reliance on coal stems at least in part from close ties between politicians and coal companies. India is pretty well suited for renewables too, yet they choose to burn more coal.
pm90 5y ago
Agreed, however It also has plenty of coal and cheap labor, which makes coal fired power plants economic.
sinyug 5y ago
> It's a shame that India hasn't jumped on the Thorium train. I have been hearing about this all my life. And I don't think we will see any progress in our lifetimes. We have a cultural problem with over-promising and under-delivering regardless of who is in power. We cannot even get regular nuclear power plants installed without interference from foreign NGOs interfering in Indian politics, local anti-nuclear fear-mongers and Christian churches.[1] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kudankulam_Nuclear_Power_Plant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kudankulam_Nuclear_Power_Plant
dustypotato 5y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India%27s_three-stage_nuclear_power_programme#Stage_III_%E2%80%93_Thorium_Based_Reactors https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India%27s_three-stage_nuclear_... It's trying, but progress is slow
known 5y ago
India follows the "Sheep Herd" mentality. The whole country's economy is based on people getting into "Profitable" domains mostly following the success of a pioneer in the field. The most recent example of this ideology is the "Business Process Outsourcing" industry. New BPO units are propping up here and there at a dime a dozen leading to a quality deterioration in the final deliverable. This process will continue till a saturation level is reached and then they will wait till another "Killer" domain picks up momentum. Till then India will be in a so called "Calm Period" where nothing great and major takes place. https://qz.com/519777/why-india-needs-a-new-constitution/ https://qz.com/519777/why-india-needs-a-new-constitution/

nine_k 5y ago

That would require really powerful industry, and political will. While the former may be more or less present, the latter is apparently concentrated on totally different issues.

mynameismon 5y ago
More than political will, it requires co-operation from the people. If you do not convince people that a thorium reactor is safe and necessary, the progress on the reactor will be stalled by public protests and frivolous lawsuits. By the time work actually begins, elections will be around the corner and you will be soon voted out of power to be replaced by someone who's sole motive will be to reverse all the work done for reactor.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

adrianN 5y ago

It is my understanding that India's reliance on coal stems at least in part from close ties between politicians and coal companies. India is pretty well suited for renewables too, yet they choose to burn more coal.

pm90 5y ago

Agreed, however It also has plenty of coal and cheap labor, which makes coal fired power plants economic.

sinyug 5y ago

> It's a shame that India hasn't jumped on the Thorium train. I have been hearing about this all my life. And I don't think we will see any progress in our lifetimes. We have a cultural problem with over-promising and under-delivering regardless of who is in power. We cannot even get regular nuclear power plants installed without interference from foreign NGOs interfering in Indian politics, local anti-nuclear fear-mongers and Christian churches.[1] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kudankulam_Nuclear_Power_Plant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kudankulam_Nuclear_Power_Plant

dustypotato 5y ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India%27s_three-stage_nuclear_power_programme#Stage_III_%E2%80%93_Thorium_Based_Reactors https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India%27s_three-stage_nuclear_... It's trying, but progress is slow

known 5y ago

India follows the "Sheep Herd" mentality. The whole country's economy is based on people getting into "Profitable" domains mostly following the success of a pioneer in the field. The most recent example of this ideology is the "Business Process Outsourcing" industry. New BPO units are propping up here and there at a dime a dozen leading to a quality deterioration in the final deliverable. This process will continue till a saturation level is reached and then they will wait till another "Killer" domain picks up momentum. Till then India will be in a so called "Calm Period" where nothing great and major takes place. https://qz.com/519777/why-india-needs-a-new-constitution/ https://qz.com/519777/why-india-needs-a-new-constitution/