SuperFuel: Thorium, the Green Energy Source for the Future (MacSci)
A riveting look at how an alternative source of energy is revoluntionising nuclear power, promising a safe and clean future for millions, and why thorium was sidelined at the height of the Cold War
In this groundbreaking account of an energy revolution in the making, award-winning science writer Richard Martin introduces us to thorium, a radioactive element and alternative nuclear fuel that is far safer, cleaner, and more abundant than uranium.
At the dawn of the Atomic Age, thorium and uranium seemed to be in close competition as the fuel of the future. Uranium, with its ability to undergo fission and produce explosive material for atomic weapons, won out over its more pacific sister element, relegating thorium to the dustbin of science.
Now, as we grapple with the perils of nuclear energy and rogue atomic weapons, and mankind confronts the specter of global climate change, thorium is re-emerging as the overlooked energy source as a small group of activists and outsiders is working, with the help of Silicon Valley investors, to build a thorium-power industry.
In the first book mainstream book to tackle these issues, Superfuel is a story of rediscovery of a long lost technology that has the power to transform the world's future, and the story of the pacifists, who were sidelined in favour of atomic weapon hawks, but who can wean us off our fossil-fuel addiction and avert the risk of nuclear meltdown for ever.
Reviews (136)
Well now...
I’m a nuclear fusion aficionado but wanted to see what the nonbelievers were banking on. My suspicions were concerned, there is a large contingent of people that believe nuclear fusion to be perpetually 30 years away. While thorium would certainly provide us with clean energy for hundreds of years following the exhaustion of fossil fuels, the human race will need to master nuclear fusion or have it be the end. To criticize the authors arguements, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Nuclear fission with uranium is simpler and was mastered first. It makes more sense that mankind went with the simpler alternative even though we knew thorium might be cleaner on paper. Going with simplicity for our power generating plants coupled with the need for weapons grade fissile material was a compromise with the strengths and drawbacks of thorium. The author of the book doesn’t seem to grasp that as uranium based fission won out the world could establish academic institutions, companies, government labs, an entire infrastructure established around nuclear fission. This mastery of uranium based nuclear fission and the institutions begotten in the effort will pave the way for further investigation into the development of molten salt thorium reactors going into the middle of the 21st century. We know plenty about uranium, these learnings can be applied to a technology that the author factually states is not without problems. There were some issues when the government was investigation thorium in the 50s and 60s. The kicker for me in reading this book was shrugging off nuclear fusion as being nigh impossible. The fact is thorium will just be buying us time to master nuclear fusion because without it our civilization is on the brink of extinction anyways. It is interesting that the author explains the private sector and foreign governments approach to thorium. It’s certainly not encouraging. Overall the book isn’t written that well. I was looking for an overall synthesis on the state of thorium and while I got that, the thorium field has not done enough to be written about in a style that the author embodies in this book. We don’t know enough about thorium and in the end, going with and continuing to operate standard uranium fission reactors is not a bad idea! Glad I read it but a bit frustrating.
"SuperFuel" is a super-story about a super-element!
The story of thorium as a planetary energy source is almost too incredible to be believed. To think that for almost seventy years we have known about a source of energy that would last longer than the Sun will shine and we haven't exploited it? One has to wonder why. In this book Rick Martin does a marvelous job telling the amazing and true story of the almost forgotten power of element 90: thorium. During the Manhattan Project thorium was passed over for consideration because it wasn't practical for nuclear weapons, but after the war researchers discovered how thorium and its fissile derivative uranium-233 would be the best fuel for clean and safe nuclear reactors--they just didn't know exactly what form those reactors would take. Then in the 1950s and 1960s at Oak Ridge National Lab, Dr. Alvin Weinberg and his team figured out the right way--a revolutionary new kind of reactor that used liquid fluoride salts rather than solid ceramic pellets as a nuclear fuel. No one could believe that such a machine could work, but Weinberg's team actually built and operated two of them very successfully. But the atomic energy establishment in the United States and around the world wanted a plutonium fast breeder reactor--a reactor totally different in every way from Weinberg's safe fluoride-salt reactor--and they convinced Nixon to make it national policy, which he did in 1971. Then they used that position of strength to cancel all of the research at Oak Ridge in thorium and fluoride salts and they got Weinberg fired as director. Without their leader and their political support, the Oak Ridge team dissolved and disbanded and the notion of a safe, clean, efficient thorium reactor was lost. Nuclear engineering students don't learn about it today. It's not taught in their schools. You can get an MS or PhD in nuclear engineering and never hear anything about Weinberg's work. I speak from first-hand experience! Read this book and you'll learn the incredible true story of how energy security and energy independence for the whole world is feasible, possible, and affordable through the liquid-fluoride thorium reactor (LFTR)!
I am sold on Thorium. ...Only real 21st century solution there is. +(this is a good read)
Not quite finished but will be before the semester is over. Unlike other assigned reading, this story is addictive; unlike other nonfiction, I am dreading when I actually DO finish it. Only John Perkins can engage me with nonfiction like this Thorium ain't our grandfather's nuclear, tech that is over 70 years old. LFTR thorium reactions are slowed & manageable. But have no (destructive) military application. Plenty of data & factoids in here for us nerds but in a down-to-earth format that leaves one thinking, "Why *Don't* we use LFTR nuclear?!" Well. I want to explain, but can't rob you of this story. But in case you aren't sold yet, nuclear is obv a four-letter word, so to speak. Thorium's older brothers already ruined it. But that's Ok, more voters are turning 18 everyday & as shown in Nevada, we're reclaiming the future, despite old paradigm Fear! Thorium truly Is an alternative energy method that can save us
LFTR (liquid fluoride thorium reactor) a path not taken
Great overview of nuclear energy and specifically the LFTR. Author weaves between technologies, people, businesses and history. The book was written in 2012 and sadly there has been no discernible progress since then. Any nuclear production system will require at least a decade with hundreds of millions in capitol and visionary leadership. Not to mention government approvals and support. In short, someone like an Elon Musk needs to get behind Thorium reactors. Talking about climate change won't move the needle and in fact probably turns off 50% of the world. Talk about why it's 10x better than anything else; clean, compact, affordable, safe, and reliable. I'd like to see a part 2
Only covers what is on the excelllnet YouTube videos
I really wanted to like this book, however after reading every word, all it does is cover what is on the excellent youtube videos that go for ninety minutes and starring Kirk Sorenson. After two hundred pages I was disappointed that it covered nothing that was not in the youtube videos. Now it is true that I watched the YouTube videos very closely, so I was reasonably well informed, I was hoping that the book would go further into technical matters relating to Thorium reactors, but no. An OK book to give to someone that has not seen the Youtube videos, but if you have seen the Youtube videos, save your money
Experts continually say that nuclear energy is going to be the next best thing, that it will power the world
Nuclear Power. To many these words signify a terrifying, ominous threat to our lives and planet. To others they signify our future. Experts continually say that nuclear energy is going to be the next best thing, that it will power the world. “We’re 20 years away from a technology that will efficiently and safely power our society”, though that claim has been made for the last twenty years. Can nuclear energy actually be the power source of our future? Enter Thorium, the element that will break down all misconceptions of what nuclear power can promise. What is Thorium? Richard Martin seeks to disclose the secrets behind Thorium’s shrouded history in his book “SuperFuel”, getting into it’s prospects for our society, and the reasons why the element has been the ignored child of the energy industry. Since the early 1900's, Thorium has had obvious advantages as a fuel source and a versatile element. According to Martin, Thorium was one of the first elements discovered to display radioactive attributes, and was initially the most studied of all which were radioactive. Simultaneously in history, Thorium was interestingly used in a popular toothpaste. Today, we are aware that Thorium is much more abundant than Uranium; an incredibly efficient fuel source, utilizing almost 90% of its stored energy; remarkably safe, meltdown is physically impossible, waste can’t be utilized in bombs or other weapons, and reactors work under STP, so there’s no need for intricate, complicated pressure systems; is cheaper and more cost-effective than modern reactors; and to top it all off, Thorium reactors can burn up old, dangerous radioactive waste. Martin spends a decent amount of time describing these drastically overwhelming attributes that set Thorium power apart from the rest, and it begs the obvious question; “Why are we not doing this??” Richard Martin does a great job answering this question. He delves deep into the history of Thorium, starting at its discovery of being radioactive by Madam Curie. He then accounts the development of nuclear technology and science throughout the early to mid 1900’s and through World War 2. People such as Hyman Rickover and Alvin Weinberg are discussed, and their impact on nuclear’s development explored. The influence the military had and has on the development for nuclear bombs and the threat of the Cold War is also seen as a factor in the lack of Thorium development. Now, as Martin writes, we are already so set in conventional nuclear power that we can’t just simply walk away for a new toy, even when it might be better, according to Paul Genoa. While examining the opposition, I feel that Martin fails to also recognize the power that the fossil fuel industry has on regulations and the energy market, as well as our political system. However, he does a fantastic job laying out the answer to “why not?”. Obviously, reading this book is going to take a lot of self-research to understand what Martin is talking about. As he says, Nuclear language is chock-full of acronyms, and at some times it can sound like scientific mumbo-jumbo. I encourage whoever has an interest in this book or whoever has read it to do some exploring themselves into what they are reading about, just to get some background for understanding. This book certainly might not seem as the most appealing to read, but I would recommend this to anyone who cares about their lives and our future. Richard Martin actually does a spectacular job keeping the material fresh and interesting, and offers incredible knowledge on the element that might save our planet. Whether it really does or not, that’s up to us.
Washington wake up
The rest of the world is going to be using this cheap abundant and safe fuel. With the importance of a green energy source necessary to continued growth of the economy why is the country that developed the liquid thorium reactor giving other countries a head start in applying this technology. These reactors can also be used to create power from the nuclear waste of the uranium reactors which is a huge problem that will last thousands of years if not converted to usable power in a thorium reactor.
Interesting read, Thorium (LFTR) needs a serious chance, USA is lagging.
An interesting read, primarily focussed on the history of nuclear power development as it pertains to the discarding and suppression of Thorium MSR (Molten Salt Reactor) technology. The book only touches lightly on the physics and technology--if you want a deep dive on that, this isn't it. Martin takes the view that LFTR (Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor) is essential for the future well-being of humanity, from economic, peace and climate perspectives. How we get there is an enigmatic riddle. Martin proposes a government program to jump start LFTRs by spending on research and by moving from over-regulation to incentive--only five years for licensing approval! He describes the leading private initiatives to develop LFTRs, most notably Flibe Energy, Kirk Sorenson's bid. He notes that Flibe has languished for a couple of years now, waiting for venture capital. He doesn't get into why that is so, so let me guess... A venture capitalist will take risks, but only calculated risks. What are the risks of investing in nuclear reactor technology? It takes over a decade and half a $ billion to (hopefully) get a license. Your effort will be doggedly attacked by anti-nuclear organizations, using lawfare to wear you out. The "Nuclearati" will oppose your efforts, seen as a threat to their dominance with the worn-out LWR technology. If all that is overcome, you still need U233 to start it up--controlled by the NRC. Would you invest? Sorenson's plan is to get DARPA to support the development, for sale to the military, an end run around the NRC and hopefully public opposition. It sounds to Martin like LFTR will not happen in the USA--it will probably happen in China first--then we will have the opportunity to buy it. "Like other advanced reactor designers, he [Gilleland] does not expect it to be built in the United States. That prospect disturbs him: `I'd love to see the U.S. get off its keister and start innovating again. But there just isn't the drive here that exists in China or India.'" (p203) Martin says our only hope is a public outcry for LFTR. For that, what's needed is a physical demonstration of a modern LFTR in commercial power production, showing its benefits clearly. Since that isn't happening in the USA, I suggest Sorenson needs to make a pact with some other (small) sovereign nation to host the development/demonstration, thus avoiding all the obstructions here. It is maddening to think of what was accomplished by America with Apollo or the Manhattan project, and to think that that will probably never happen again, with government support for the Nuclearati leading to "aggressive" 30-year plans for new solid fuel reactors.
Buy the book, read it and then give to a member of Congress
What I don't like, but it doesn't matter: 1) Martin is a believer in man made global warming. He says there are no scientists of repute who deny it. This is utter nonsense and he knows it. I studied under Reid Bryson, the dean of American climatologists and he didn't believe in it. Mr. Martin lives in Boulder, CO so he needs to get out more. European scientists just blew a hole in global warming a mile wide and a million miles deep just in the last few days. Jan Esper, et al. just reported that Europe has been getting cooler for 2,000 years and proved it. No models, just deeply researched facts. 2) He's a lefty. Need proof: Martin writes that a past head of the Atomic Energy Commission was a "free market capitalist". Oh, dear me - not one of those. What I do like and that does matter: 1) Even though I don't believe in global warming I would join forces with Martin in a heart beat if thorium reactors proved to be a) safe in all respects; b) cost effective in all respects. Coal, petroleum and natural gas based fuels are dirty. They also pack a lot of energy in a small space only exceeded by nuclear elements and that is why the world uses them. I don't think people would miss fossil fuels if we came up with a safe, non-poluting alternative for many fossil fuel uses. 2) The important points are: We live on planet with abundant thorium. Thorium is a byproduct of rare earth mining and is virtually free. No rare earths, no windmills inter alia folks. Thorium if used as a nuclear fuel in a reactor has advantages that could make uranium reactors obsolete. We already built a thorium reactor in the US and it worked. Wind, solar etc. will never produce enough base load electricity Through bad decision making and errors thorium reactors were stopped and then forgotten Whether global warming is true or false, why not utilize thorium if it truly is a better fuel. 3) Where do we go from here: We have spent tens of billions of federal dollars on credits and subsidies for ethanol, wind, solar, geothermal, algae and so forth. We have spent virtually nothing on thorium. If you read as much about thorium as I have tried to do over the last few years, you arrive at a conclusion that thorium should be given every chance to succeed. So I recommend buying the book, reading it and then giving it to member of Congress. Tell the member there's no money in it for them, just helping the country and perhaps mankind. There has to be a few people in Washington DC who can see past being re-elected over and over again and lining their pockets while in office. Maybe we just need one advocate. Lastly, I want to thank Mr. Martin for his thorium article in "Wired" magazine. In addition, he probably won't make a whole lot of money on this book, but if thorium is the "Super Fuel" for our planet, and this book helps us get there then we owe a big debt of gratitude to Mr Martin and all others who are working to make thorium power a reality. I just bought an extra copy. After November 6th, I will have a new Congressman in the House. He gets the book. It's then up to him. Update: I just mailed my extra copy today 12/7/2012 to my new Congressman. He's an engineer so he should like the story. It's really up to our representatives in Washington DC and folks like Kirk Sorensen. I truly wish them all well.
Most of what you wanted to know
Martin's survey on the current state of the non-existant thorium economy is a solid introduction to the subject. This is a well written and, as far as I know, well documented summary. The technical details are above my level of comprehension (we're talking particle physics here), but Martin makes it clear that something significant should be going on with thorium power generation and the sooner we start researching, developing and adopting thorium nuclear power generation, the better off we will be. Left unanswered are the looming questions of current day political realities. What is being done to make our leaders aware of the potential and promise of thorium? Why is so little primary research being conducted in the US where we invented the technology? Why are we abandoning a promising and proven technology to other nations when all of the people of the world will benefit when we stop burning hydrocarbon fuels and generate power from a nearly inexhaustible and inexpensive resource. That political reality is the one thing about thorium that I cannot understand. It probably deserves it's own book. "The Promise of Thorium - Why We Gave It All Away and Continued Ruining the Planet" or some such. And that begs the question of why Big Oil, Big Coal and Big Uranium aren't hedging their bets. Or are they?
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