The greenest, safest, most affordable way of providing energy to everyone, forever.

[Lftrsuk]

There is no greener, safer or cheaper way of meeting our future energy needs than a fleet of modular Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactors (LFTRs), say 100 MWe size. They are so safe you could bury the reactor vessel and primary circuit of a LFTR under the centre-spot in Wembley Stadium and be hard pushed to design an accident to expel radiotoxic substances into the environment, to the endangerment of a capacity crowd. Only gravity acts on the liquid reactor fuel-salts and, should a vessel or pipework breach occur, the liquid is taken downwards to a safely configured drain tank. It would take a direct hit by an asteroid or a bunker-buster to eject stuff upwards and out.

This technology that will create manufacturing jobs, growth and prosperity we have not seen in 3 generations. There are at least half a dozen UK manufacturing companies with the capacity and expertise to be part of the technological supply chain. The technology is basic, well-understood engineering, associated with process plant and equipment.

For a piddling £300 million investment, the Government could build the first-of-a-kind modular unit, to kick-start private investment from entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, to roll out the first 400 units needed to meet the UK’s immediate targets. In doing so, £50 billion will be slashed from the £110 billion already allocated to the Government’s selection of other expensive, inefficient and inconsequential technologies.

The worldwide market for such modular LFTRs is in the tens of thousands. Our Government must be made to move on this technology, to ensure the UK gets a slice of the manufacturing action, once the LFTR bandwagon starts to roll. It could happen first in the UK, but if not here, it will happen soon in either in America, China, The Czech Republic, India or France.

Make it happen here by voting on 38Degrees, the Campaigning Website and search for "UK manufacture of Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactors".

Alternatively, sign the e-petition on the HM Government website. Google: “HM Government e-petition", put 'thorium' in the search and 'View' "Save £50 billion....."

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by Lftrsuk

There is no greener, safer or cheaper way of meeting our future energy needs than a fleet of modular Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactors (LFTRs), say 100 MWe size. They are so safe you could bury the reactor vessel and primary circuit of a LFTR under the centre-spot in Wembley Stadium and be hard pushed to design an accident to expel radiotoxic substances into the environment, to the endangerment of a capacity crowd. Only gravity acts on the liquid reactor fuel-salts and, should a vessel or pipework breach occur, the liquid is taken downwards to a safely configured drain tank. It would take a direct hit by an asteroid or a bunker-buster to eject stuff upwards and out.

This technology that will create manufacturing jobs, growth and prosperity we have not seen in 3 generations. There are at least half a dozen UK manufacturing companies with the capacity and expertise to be part of the technological supply chain. The technology is basic, well-understood engineering, associated with process plant and equipment.

For a piddling £300 million investment, the Government could build the first-of-a-kind modular unit, to kick-start private investment from entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, to roll out the first 400 units needed to meet the UK’s immediate targets. In doing so, £50 billion will be slashed from the £110 billion already allocated to the Government’s selection of other expensive, inefficient and inconsequential technologies.

The worldwide market for such modular LFTRs is in the tens of thousands. Our Government must be made to move on this technology, to ensure the UK gets a slice of the manufacturing action, once the LFTR bandwagon starts to roll. It could happen first in the UK, but if not here, it will happen soon in either in America, China, The Czech Republic, India or France.

Make it happen here by voting on 38Degrees, the Campaigning Website and search for "UK manufacture of Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactors".

Alternatively, sign the e-petition on the HM Government website. Google: “HM Government e-petition", put 'thorium' in the search and 'View' "Save £50 billion....."

nd there in lies the problem a) the goverment doesbt have a spare 300 million and b) why would venture capitalists put in cash that wont give them a guaranteed return ? (and c private investors can't buy fissile material anyway)

I'm also reminded of the claims made about the nuclear power in the fifties - the clean fuel of the future and all that - its only 'so safe' until an unforeseen accident occurs and the first one goes bang

and finally i have no intention of signing anything connected to left wing pressure group 38 degrees- what makes them experts on power generation anyway ?

(interesting first post too - it would be uncharitable to suggest that it is spam to promote the 38 deg petition)

[Lftrsuk]

Originally Posted by eeyore

And there in lies the problem a) the goverment doesbt have a spare 300 million and b) why would venture capitalists put in cash that wont give them a guaranteed return ? (and c private investors can't buy fissile material anyway)

In the UK, if LFTRs were fully deployed to provide all the electrical power, it would cost £60 billion. Instead, Chris Huhne has committed £110 billion to meet our carbon targets, by bowing to propaganda from the eco-warrior community and using the inconsequential types of renewables so favoured by them. With a potential £50 billion saving, a £300 million investment of our hard earned taxes would represent a splendid Governmental decision, to build the first-of-a-kind modular unit. This would kick-start private investment from entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, to roll out the first 400 units needed to meet the UK’s immediate targets. Renewables are expensive for the very good reason that, watt-for-watt they use massively more quantities of steel, concrete and other valuable resources than conventional nuclear (then, bear in mind that LFTR technology uses less than half the resources of conventional nuclear).

Originally Posted by eeyore

I'm also reminded of the claims made about the nuclear power in the fifties - the clean fuel of the future and all that - its only 'so safe' until an unforeseen accident occurs and the first one goes bang

Alvin Weinberg, the inventor and patent holder of Light Water Reactors LWRs, predicted loss-of-coolant and meltdown accidents and railed against their use for civil electricity generation. LWRs have supplied nearly 20% of the worlds electricity for decades, with Three Mile Island and Fukushima, responsible for 0 (that's zero) deaths, being the two accidents with dramatic poisoning consequences; poisoning the minds of the screaming (though singularly successful) anti-nuclear lobby. Weinberg carried out experimentation, designed, developed and operated Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs) for nearly two decades at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in the 50s, 60s and 70s and, because of their inherent safety, wanted to use them for civil purposes. MSRs are the forerunners of the LFTR concept

Originally Posted by eeyore

and finally i have no intention of signing anything connected to left wing pressure group 38 degrees- what makes them experts on power generation anyway ?

Since anyone can start a campaign for anything, how and when does the left wing politicisation kick in?

Originally Posted by eeyore

(interesting first post too - it would be uncharitable to suggest that it is spam to promote the 38 deg petition)

How about signing the e-petition?

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by Lftrsuk

, how and when does the left wing politicisation kick in?

because 38 degrees are a leftwing pressure group

I dont know enough about the subject at hand to know whether these reactors are a good idea or not , but i do know that i'll be basing my opinion on facts , not one sided spin from those promoting a petition.

we have several members who work in the nuclear industry so it will be interesting to see what they think

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by Lftrsuk

Three Mile Island and Fukushima, responsible for 0 (that's zero) deaths, being the two accidents with dramatic poisoning consequences

you forgot about chernobyl , and the kursk

i'm not anti nuclear power tho and i appreciate far higher death tolls append to the coal mining industry - howeve nuclear has not turned out to be the green, clean, and risk free fuel that was foolishly predicted in the 50s - and thats my point , my issue isnt with the idea of using any particular reactor type its with the foolishly blind optimism in cdeclaring anything completely safe