Energy From Thorium Discussion Forum

A new reprocessing plant has been inaugurated for fissile feed for fast reactors and thorium fuel.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/PM-dedica ... 47326.aspx
This is one way to produce fuel for fast breeders and fissile feed for thorium fuel. The other one is enrichment of uranium. Down-blending of HEU, in my opinion, is a waste of separative work already carried out. Even if you do not want HEU lying around, it should be downblended to 20%LEU. The 20%LEU can be used for :-
1. fuel for research reactors.
2. For fast reactors like the design of SVBR100.
3. Combined with thorium for long burn up fuel for existing reactors. The Indian AEC brochure on AHWR300-LEU is an example of such design. This will extend energy production from a given quantity of uranium by burning some uranium233in situ after creating it.
4. Can be used as fissile feed for LFTR.
Reactor grade plutonium recovered from reprocessing can be used similarly. UK, France and Russia have substantial stocks from reprocessing. The US also has a large stock of fissile fuel available for power but is conserving it buying enriched uranium fuel.

I would like to know what role this kind of reactor might play if the US had one. I think if it got rid of Plutonium for instance it would be a sensible choice to promote. Some anti nukes might be converted for instance if they knew that 80% of the spent fuel can be converted to energy. The fighting going on in South Carolina about getting a reprocessing plant could benefit from knowing more about it.

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JUST ONE LFTR PROTOTYPE WOULD BE A HUGE BOOST

AHWR is designed to use thorium fuel. There are two fuel options. One has Th-U233 fuel with partly Th-Pu for keeping void coefficient negative. The second has Th-19.75%LEU fuel. It may be possible to use Th-Pu to consume Pu stocks usefully. The spent fuel will be Th-U233 and fission products. Some Pu may be left over.
http://www.dae.gov.in/gc/ahwr-leu-broc.pdf
The link is to a brochure presented at IAEA.

Am I missing something? Isn't there still plenty of Plutonium left in Spent Nuclear Fuel after a once through that occurs in most US reactors or any PWR reactors?

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JUST ONE LFTR PROTOTYPE WOULD BE A HUGE BOOST