Tamil Nadu holds key to India’s nuclear energy dreams
Jun 08, 2015 -
S.V. Krishna Chaitanya
With India in pursuit of thorium-fuelled reactors after dreaming big on high nuclear energy, the spotlight is on southern and eastern coasts which offer an abundance of monazite, an atomic mineral which contains 8-10 percent thorium.
In comparison, Tamil Nadu arguably has the highest concentration of monazite deposits along its coast line that spans over 1,076 km. The beach sand in the southernmost district Kanyakumari is literally a goldmine for the nuclear gold as many refer to this precious mineral.
In order to protect this natural resource that has potential to spin the fortunes of India, the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change, through National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), has sanctioned a project titled “Coastal Mineral Mapping” to Institute of Ocean Management (IOM) of Anna University here. This is India’s first exhaustive attempt to map and record all the natural minerals available in length and breadth of Indian coastal line.
Speaking exclusively to this newspaper, IOM director S. Srinivasalu said Atomic Mineral Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD) of Department of Atomic Energy is working in tandem with the 20-member team of IOM.
“We are not just focusing on Monazite, but mapping every natural mineral found. The beach sands of India, especially Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, are rich in several heavy minerals such as ilmenite, rutile, leucoxene, garnet, sillimanite, zircon and monazite. These minerals are used in several industries from steel and electronics to jewellery and ceramics. Monazite, however, contains thorium, a nuclear fuel of much interest,” Dr Srinivasalu said.
The project commenced in March this year and is expected to be completed within a year.
The official said the objective is to provide the government with authentic data base on area-wise specification of the type and quantum of natural minerals available.
“This will help both the central and state governments in decision making. We have already completed the minerals mapping in Gujarat and West Bengal. Shortly, the exercise will start in Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Andhra and Kerala. The remaining states will be covered in next phase”.
Mr J. Shankar, retired geologist from Geological Survey of India (GSI), who is working in the project, said Monozite is a strategic mineral having radioactive properties. We can process it to remove thorium, which is a nuclear fuel. “By itself, monazite is not of great significance. We will have to put it in a reactor, cook it and you get Uranium-233, which is a fissile material”.
Meanwhile, retired professor Seralathan of Cochin University said the team is collecting sand samples from every 1-4 km stretch and separate the minerals and record them. “It’s an exhaustive exercise”.
BoX: Mineral matters
India has hardly 2% of world uranium deposits, but has highest thorium= deposits. World monazite resources are estimated to be about 12 million tonnes, of which two-thirds are in heavy mineral sand deposits on the south and east coasts of India as per the World Nuclear Association.
The strategic experts say thorium can be used to produce nuclear energy. It has to be converted to 233U in a nuclear reactor, before it can be used as fuel. “233U provides better physics characteristics in comparison to the other fissile materials like currently used 235U and 239Pu”.
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is carrying out extensive studies on various challenges in fabrication, reprocessing and waste management of thorium fuel cycle for Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR), which being set up as a technology demonstration reactor keeping in mind the long term deployment of thorium based reactors.
http://www.asianage.com/india/tamil-nadu-holds-key-india-s-nuclear-energy-dreams-830
