What if Norway funds thorium reactors research.

I enjoyed watching the Netflix movie "Occupied". Part of the plot is that Norway will develop Thorium reactors.

I have been wondering what if in 1995, Norway decided to seriously fund Thorium reactor research as a way to combat global warming. Their motivation is that they have a long sea coast and rising oceans would be devastating to their country. The other benefit is that if they are successful they could establish an industry building Thorium reactors for other countries. The development of the engineering expertise to do this would be a good way to diversify their economy. With their Sovereign Wealth Fund, they could fund the research at a reasonable level based on the premise that reducing global warming is in the long term interest of the Norwegian people.

"The Government Pension Fund Global, also known as the Oil Fund, was established in 1990 to invest the surplus revenues of the Norwegian petroleum sector. It has over US$1 trillion in assets, including 1.3% of global stocks and shares, making it the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund.[1] In May 2018 it was worth about $195,000 per Norwegian citizen.[2] It also holds portfolios of real estate and fixed-income investments. Many companies are excluded by the fund on ethical grounds."

What would be impact of Norway funding at a reasonable level development of Thorium reactors?

Thank you
 
Norway doesn't have any nuclear reactors. Choosing to embark on a project that will be massively expensive, that they have no use for, and that they have no experience in is just not something that would happen.

Norway gets 98% of its power from hydro. Nuclear would be idiotic for them.
 
Thank you this was good feedback. I was thinking along the lines of the Norwegian people thinking about what would be good for the world. The combination of no carbon dioxide creation and the reduced nuclear waste production would make them interested in this. If this project is too big for Norway even with their oil money, what if Norway offered to provide a certain amount of funding for 10-15 years if other European countries would provide scientists and additional funding? Would the other European countries support this as away to develop a new technology, reduce global warming, and diversify their energy portfolio?

"Thorium-based nuclear power generation is fueled primarily by the nuclear fission of the isotope uranium-233 produced from the fertile element thorium. According to proponents, a thorium fuel cycle offers several potential advantages over a uranium fuel cycle—including much greater abundance of thorium on Earth, superior physical and nuclear fuel properties, and reduced nuclear waste production. However, development of thorium power has significant start-up costs. Proponents also cite the lack of weaponization potential as an advantage of thorium, while critics say that development of breeder reactors in general (including thorium reactors, which are breeders by nature) increases proliferation concerns. Since about 2008, nuclear energy experts have become more interested in thorium to supply nuclear fuel in place of uranium to generate nuclear power. This renewed interest has been highlighted in a number of scientific conferences, the latest of which, ThEC13[1] was held at CERN by iThEC and attracted over 200 scientists from 32 countries."
 

Anderman

Donor
A reactor utilize Thorium is not necessarily a breeder reactor you can use the Thorium to stretch the Uranium.
 
From a technology standpoint, I would look at Germany, France, and Japan.

From a carbon emission point of view, I would look at India and China
 
From a technology standpoint, I would look at Germany, France, and Japan.

From a carbon emission point of view, I would look at India and China

The US too, depending on regional politics. Lemhi Pass on the border of Idaho and Montana has a huge amount of thorium and rare earths. So get the senators and representatives of those states on board with the program, and make them prominent forces in Congress (or even the Presidency). Bonus--combine it with the space program (lunar thorium) to create some public meme about the US being the global energy leader in the future.

Norway's role could be investing in India (assuming the program is open to foreign investment, which wouldn't be the case before the 80s IIRC) and later producing large returns for Norway in order to justify the program.
 
Honestly of all the Nordic countries, Denmark would be the country which would gain the most by using thorium reactors, as Denmark lack the access to geothermic and/or hydropower which the other Nordic powers have, it also have large thorium deposits in Greenland.
 
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