Thorium key to expanding India’s energy independent nuclear programme, says Anil Kakodkar

MUMBAI: Former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission Anil Kakodkar, and its current member, emphasised the use and importance of thorium for expanding India’s nuclear programme.

Kakodkar delivered the Dr M R Srinivasan Memorial Lecture, jointly organised by the Thakur College of Engineering And Technology and the National Centre For Science Communicators, to mark the 95th birth anniversary of Dr Srinivasan. Dr Srinivasan, a pioneer of India’s nuclear energy programme, passed away on May 20, 2025. Kakodkar emphasised that if India had to become energy independent thorium was the answer.

According to him, India had the largest amount of thorium globally, the world figure being six million tonnes and that of India being one million tonnes. He said the importance of thorium assumed further importance because the world figure of uranium was six to eight million tonnes, while that of India was 0.4 million tonnes. It was because of the limited amount of uranium availability that India signed the Indo-US civil nuclear agreement. "After this agreement was signed, India got global access to uranium," he said.

Kakodkar said thorium in pressurised heavy water reactors would be safer, cheaper and fuel efficient. The transistion to thorium would enable faster growth. " Thorium will allow continuity of nuclear energy programme," he told the large audience. Among the benefits of the use of thorium were the lower reprocessing burden, greater proliferation resistance, greater accident tolerent and more safety.