To meet its rapidly growing energy demand, some opine that India should pursue research and development on thorium as the future fuel of nuclear energy. In this context, what advantage does thorium hold over uranium?
Detailed Explanation:
✅ Statement 1 – Correct: Thorium is approximately 3-4 times more abundant in nature than uranium, found widely in Earth's crust including monazite sands.
✅ Statement 2 – Correct: Thorium-232 can generate approximately 30 times more energy per unit mass than natural uranium when bred into fissile U-233.
✅ Statement 3 – Correct: Thorium fuel cycle produces significantly less long-lived radioactive waste and minimal plutonium, making waste management easier than uranium fuel cycle.
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