Fast Breeder Test Reactor, a civil research plant situated at Kalpakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu

A decade after internal political divisions over the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, Kerala has again turned to nuclear energy in search of a sustainable solution to its mounting power crisis. This time, the focus is on thorium, a silvery radioactive element found abundantly in the state’s mineral-rich coastal sands. Electricity Minister K. Krishnankutty has publicly confirmed that Kerala is in discussions with the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) to explore collaboration on deploying thorium-based nuclear technology.

With the Kayamkulam region of Alappuzha, home to a decommissioned NTPC thermal power station, being considered as a prospective site, Kerala finds itself at a critical juncture where the promise of clean, safe, and indigenous nuclear energy confronts serious ecological, technological, and financial challenges.

Thorium’s Strategic Promise for India

India’s nuclear energy program has long been built around the strategic potential of thorium. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, nearly two-thirds of the world’s identified monazite reserves are located in India, with around 8 million tons concentrated along the coasts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha. These sands typically carry 8–10% thorium oxide, giving India a long-term competitive advantage over uranium-dependent nations.

Unlike uranium-235, thorium-232 cannot directly fuel a reactor, but through a nuclear reaction process it can be converted into fissile uranium-233. Despite this complexity, thorium has unique advantages: it is three times more abundant than uranium, has superior thermal conductivity and stability, generates lower volumes of long-lived nuclear waste, and enhances reactor safety margins. For scientists and policymakers, these benefits justify pursuing an energy future centred on thorium. Uranium is created from the transmutation of thorium bundles that are also placed in the core.

The Breakthrough Technology

Compact Thorium Reactors: A central development boosting Kerala’s optimism is BARC’s progress in designing compact thorium reactors. Specialists at BARC claim that such reactors are both safer and more efficient than conventional designs, with extremely small quantities of thorium providing substantial power. Reports suggest that as little as 200 grams of thorium could power an entire district for a significant duration, while yielding minimal radioactive waste compared to uranium-fuelled systems. If realised, this could revolutionise not only Kerala’s energy landscape but also India’s global standing in nuclear technology. The availability of pre-cleared land at the now-defunct Kayamkulam NTPC power complex makes it a strategically convenient location for hosting such a pilot project.

Political Context And Historical Lessons

The political dimension of nuclear projects in Kerala is closely tied to the bitter rift that erupted within the CPI(M) during the Kudankulam nuclear power plant controversy which was being built in neighbouring Tamil Nadu. Veteran Communist leader the late  VS Achuthanandan openly opposed the project, citing safety and environmental concerns, creating rare open defiance within the party.

Technical Barriers: The Thorium Fuel Cycle

From a technological perspective, the thorium fuel cycle remains one of the most complex in nuclear science. Converting thorium into fissile uranium-233 requires sophisticated reactors, high-temperature fuel fabrication, advanced shielding against hazardous gamma radiation produced by uranium-232, and specialised reprocessing units. While India has decades of research experience in thorium, it has yet to master these processes at commercial scale. This limitation represents one of the greatest hurdles for near-term deployment. Global experience also suggests that while thorium is scientifically feasible, achieving cost-effective large-scale power generation may not be possible until well after 2050.

Economic And Financial Viability

The prohibitive cost of building thorium reactors at commercial scale raises financial questions about Kerala’s current approach. While thorium promises cheap and sustainable power in the long run, the capital costs associated with land acquisition, reactor construction, technology adaptation, and waste management are extremely high, especially for a state facing fiscal constraints which solely depends on an expatriate based remittance economy.

Moreover, critics argue that heavily subsidising experimental nuclear projects at present could divert scarce resources away from more immediately deployable solutions like solar, wind, and hybrid battery-storage systems. Unless backed by significant central government support, Kerala’s thorium proposal risks being financially unsustainable.

Conclusion

Kerala stands at a crossroads in its energy future. While thorium-based nuclear power carries the promise of transforming the state into a pioneer of safe, indigenous, and sustainable energy, the road ahead is fraught with significant challenges.

If pursued with care, adequate safeguards, and clear long-term strategies, Kerala could eventually emerge as a national leader in thorium energy. But given the ecological fragility of its coasts, the unresolved complexities of the thorium cycle, and the technological horizon extending into mid-century, immediate commitments may prove premature and risky.

Policymakers will need to carefully calibrate ambition with caution, ensuring that bold energy solutions do not come at the irreversible cost of environmental and social stability.

Agencies