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Comment by realrocker | Hacker News Reader

Indian Thorium Breeding Technology: http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2011/ph241/bhattacharyya1/ Since we don't have enough Uranium and no one would sell us, It's pretty much our only strategy.

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This is true. However, the article is about molten salt reactors. The Indian program, as far as I know, is focused entirely on conventional solid fueled reactors. Most of the advantages of MSR aren't shared by solid fuel Th reactors.

China already has an MSR program, but perhaps India could catch up if it switched tack quickly.

You've been free to buy uranium from since George W. Bush backed you in a treaty modification with the nuclear suppliers group. You had been blacklisted before that, because your nuclear weapons pissed off the world (don't blame the world).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indo-US_civilian_nuclear_agree...

A quick google search turns up the Australian PM agreeing to sell you uranium:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-18/gillard-visit-paves-wa...

"Prime minister Singh and I have agreed that we will commence negotiations for the nuclear safeguards agreement, the civil nuclear cooperation agreement given Australia is now prepared to sell uranium to India," she said.

>> You had been blacklisted before that, because your nuclear weapons pissed off the world (don't blame the world).

Yeah Right, Its perfectly alright for us to have nuclear weapons but not others because they are irresponsible and undeserving (Hiroshima and Nagasaki anyone?)

The proposed nuclear supply is dodgy at best. The supplier countries are asking so much in return that it might not actually go well for long. France & US only agreed because Indian Army relented to buy a large cache of arms and fighter jets.India can't do that too much, too often to aggravate the already exploding arm's race vis-a-vis China and Pakistan. Thorium is India's best(and perhaps only) hope. That's why it is still betting on arcane technologies like solid fueled thorium reactors, because they have invested so much into it already. The program has "got to" produce 30% of energy needs by 2050 or all is not well for India.

well, that's one statement from the PM. it hasn't got through parliament yet, and this highly controversial proposal will face stiff opposition. Successive polls have shown that most australians are opposed to exporting our uranium to nuclear weapons states (tho I'll admit most respondants probably haven't connected the dots, since one major customer is us[a]).

In the case of India, these concerns are magnified by the ongoing regional arms race and the recent violent suppression (including murder) of Indian opponents to the industry.

It's only been a few years since India was "pardoned", and Australia is just one of many potential suppliers. The broad point is, the entire world uranium market is open to India, which was not the case until recently. India's preexisting nuclear strategy is no longer valid.

Here's another sale: a settled Russian deal to supply uranium for a Russian-built VVER reactor, for its entire lifespan. (Admittedly the implication is the uranium deal is somehow tied to the Russian reactor sale, which is somewhat limiting). Not much politics here! (Not much politics in Russia either).

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/first-unit-of-kudankul...

yes, the russians will on-sell to anyone: its probable that australia's decision to supply russia, while not as politically charged, was a greater proliferation hit than any future decision on india :(

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