India Transition to Thorium-Based Nuclear Fuel Gains Push

India’s transition to thorium-based nuclear fuel has received fresh support from nuclear scientist Anil Kakodkar, who has called for thorium-based fuel to be introduced into the country’s indigenous pressurised heavy water reactor fleet. The proposal would run alongside India’s existing three-stage nuclear programme. 

Kakodkar made the case at the 6th International Climate Summit, arguing that India’s commercial PHWR programme provides an opportunity to bring thorium into the nuclear fuel cycle earlier. The technology is expected to account for around half of the country’s targeted 100 gigawatts-electric nuclear capacity. 

The Anil Kakodkar thorium proposal is linked to India’s large thorium reserves and the goal of reducing dependence on imported nuclear fuel. Kakodkar said uranium supplies could face increasing pressure as more countries seek to expand their nuclear power programmes. 

The proposal focuses on introducing thorium into indigenous PHWRs rather than waiting for the later stages of India’s established three-stage nuclear programme. Kakodkar argued that the commercial acceptability of PHWR technology creates room for such an approach while the country expands its nuclear generation capacity. 

Thorium-based fuel in India has long been connected with the country’s effort to make greater use of domestic nuclear resources. Kakodkar’s latest comments place the issue in the context of rising global demand for nuclear energy and potential pressure on uranium supplies. 

India’s nuclear expansion plans are also central to the discussion. The country is targeting around 100 GWe of nuclear capacity, with approximately half expected to come from indigenous PHWR technology. That planned expansion could provide a larger platform for considering thorium-based fuel. 

India’s transition to thorium-based nuclear fuel would represent a change in how domestic nuclear resources are incorporated into the power programme. Kakodkar’s proposal is intended to accelerate the use of India’s thorium reserves while supporting greater self-reliance in nuclear fuel. 

Kakodkar currently serves as Chancellor of the Homi Bhabha National Institute and Chairman of the Rajiv Gandhi Science & Technology Commission. His comments add to the ongoing discussion around India’s future nuclear energy strategy.