I-Thorium energy: Isixazululo samandla aluhlaza kuma-reactors enuzi

• About the Author:
• Igama lomlobi

  I-Quantumrun Foresight
• August 11, 2022

Isifinyezo sokuqonda

Ukuthuthukiswa kweShayina kweziphehlisi ezinosawoti ezincibilikisiwe ze-thorium kuphawula ushintsho olubalulekile ekuguquguqukeni kwamandla omhlaba, okuhlinzeka ngenye indlela eningi futhi engase iphephe kune-uranium. Lobu buchwepheshe abuthembisi nje kuphela izinzuzo zemvelo ngokunciphisa udoti onobuthi nokukhishwa kwekhabhoni kodwa futhi bubeka iChina njengomholi ongase abe umholi ekuthumeleni amandla ngaphandle kwesimeme. Kodwa-ke, ukukhathazeka mayelana nokusebenza kwesikhathi eside nokuphepha kwalezi ziphehlisi, ikakhulukazi mayelana nemiphumela eyonakalisayo kasawoti oncibilikisiwe kanye nokusetshenziswa kabi okungenzeka kwe-Uranium-233, kusazobhekwana nayo ngokugcwele.

Ingqikithi yamandla e-thorium

Ngo-2021, i-China yamangaza umkhakha wezamandla emhlabeni wonke ngokumemezela ukuqedwa kwesiphehli senuzi esincibilikisiwe se-thorium-fueled. Lobu buchwepheshe bamandla obuhlukile bungase butholakale ngokwentengiso ngo-2030. 

Ama-reactors ancibilikisiwe kasawoti oncibilikisiwe we-thorium asebenzisa ingxube kasawoti oncibilikisiwe ne-thorium noma i-uranium ukukhiqiza amandla. I-China ikhethe i-thorium ngenxa yokutholakala kwensimbi ngobuningi ezweni. Ama-reactors e-uranium kwenye indawo emhlabeni nawo adinga amanzi ngezinjongo zokupholisa, okungeza izithiyo ze-geological ekwakhiweni kwazo. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, i-thorium reactor isebenzisa usawoti oncibilikisiwe kukho kokubili ukuthuthwa kokushisa nokupholisa i-reactor, iqeda noma yisiphi isidingo sokwakhiwa eduze kwamanzi amaningi. Kodwa-ke, i-thorium kufanele iguqulwe ibe i-Uranium 233 (U 233) ngokusebenzisa ibhomu lenuzi ukuze kuqalwe ukusabela. I-U 233 inomsakazo omningi.

Ubuchwepheshe obusetshenziswa kumareactors enuzi ancibilikisiwe we-thorium-fueled buphephe kakhudlwana njengoba ukushiswa koketshezi kunciphisa ubungozi bokungalawuleki futhi kulimaze izakhiwo ze-reactor. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ama-thorium reactors anobungani bemvelo njengoba ukushisa i-thorium kungakhiqizi i-plutonium enobuthi, ngokungafani nama-reactor aphehlwa yi-uranium. Nokho, usawoti ungagqwalisa isakhiwo se-reactor emazingeni aphezulu okushisa. Ukugqwala ngenxa yokulimala kukasawoti kungathatha iminyaka emihlanu kuya kweyi-10 ukuziveza, ngakho-ke ukuthi lezi ziphehli zingenza kanjani ngokuhamba kwesikhathi kusazoqinisekiswa ngokuphelele.

Umthelela ophazamisayo

Ukuthuthukiswa kwe-thorium-based reactors yi-China kungase kuholele ekuzimeleni okukhulu kwamandla e-China, kunciphise ukuthembela ekuthengisweni kwe-uranium evela emazweni anobudlelwane obuqinile nawo. Ushintsho oluyimpumelelo kuma-thorium reactor luzovumela i-China ukuthi ingene emthonjeni wamandla amaningi futhi okungenzeka uphephe kakhudlwana. Lolu shintsho lubaluleke kakhulu uma kubhekwa ukuthembela kakhulu kwezwe kwamanje ku-uranium, engeningi kakhulu futhi evame ukutholakala ngemigudu eyinkimbinkimbi yepolitiki.

Ukwamukelwa okusabalele okungaba khona kwama-reactor asekelwe ku-thorium kuveza indlela ethembisayo yokunciphisa ukukhishwa kwekhabhoni okuphawulekayo. Ngo-2040, lokhu kungenza kube lula ukuqedwa kwemithombo yamandla esekelwe kuphethiloli, njengezimboni zamandla aphehlwa ngamalahle, okwamanje ezinegalelo elikhulu ekungcolisweni kwemvelo kanye nokukhishwa kwesisi esibamba ukushisa. Ukushintshela kuma-thorium reactor kungahambisana nemigomo yamandla kanye nezibopho zomhlaba wonke zokunciphisa ukukhishwa kwekhabhoni. Ukwengeza, lolu shintsho luzobonisa ukusetshenziswa okungokoqobo kobunye ubuchwepheshe benuzi.

Phambilini lamazwe ngamazwe, ubungcweti be-China bobuchwepheshe be-thorium reactor bungayibeka njengomholi ekusungulweni okusha kwamandla emhlabeni jikelele. Lobu buchwepheshe buhlinzeka ngenye indlela engenazikhali ezingatheni kumandla enuzi wendabuko, okwenza kube inketho ekhangayo yokuthekelisa emazweni asathuthuka. Kodwa-ke, inothi lokuqapha liyadingeka ngenxa yokukhiqizwa okungenzeka kwe-Uranium-233, umkhiqizo we-thorium reactors ongasetshenziswa eziqhumeni nezikhali ezisekelwe ku-uranium. Lesi sici sigcizelela isidingo sezinyathelo eziqinile zokuphepha kanye nezinyathelo zokulawula ekuthuthukisweni nasekusetshenzisweni kwama-thorium reactors, ukuvimbela ukusetshenziswa kabi kwe-Uranium-233.

Imiphumela ye-thorium energy 

Imithelela ebanzi yomthelela wesikhathi esizayo we-thorium energy ezimakethe zamandla ingase ihlanganise:

• Amazwe amaningi atshala imali ekuthuthukisweni kwe-reactor kasawoti encibilikisiwe ngenxa yamandla awo okwakhiwa ngokuphepha noma yikuphi, kanye nokukhipha kwawo amandla aluhlaza. 
• Ucwaningo olwandisiwe kwezinye izindlela ezikhipha imisebe esikhundleni se-uranium ezingasetshenziswa kuma-reactors enuzi.
• Kwakhiwa izizinda zikagesi ezengeziwe ezindaweni zasemakhaya neziwugwadule, okugqugquzela ukukhula komnotho kulezi zindawo. 
• Ucwaningo lwesikhathi esizayo lokwakha ama-thorium reactor ngaphakathi kwengqalasizinda yomphakathi kanye nempahla yezempi, efana nabathwali bezindiza. 
• Amazwe aseNtshonalanga azama ukusebenzisa amasu ezepolitiki ukuze avimbele ukuthunyelwa kwe-China kobuchwepheshe be-thorium reactor njengoba bubeka engcupheni yokuncintisana ezinhlelweni zabo zokuthekelisa amandla.
• I-Thorium iqhathaniswa ngokungalungile namandla enuzi ezinkundleni zokuxhumana, okuholela emibhikishweni evela kubantu bendawo lapho kuhlongozwa khona ukwakhiwa kwama-thorium reactors. 

Imibuzo okufanele icatshangelwe

• Ingabe ukholelwa ukuthi izici eziluhlaza zamandla akhiqizwe nge-thorium zingazuzisa kakhulu umphakathi ngokuphikisana namandla awo okubhubhisa ngesizukulwane esikhulayo se-U 233?
• Ukuhola kweShayina ekukhiqizeni amandla e-thorium kungabathinta kanjani indawo yakhona yamasu ngeminyaka yawo-2030?