Potential lithium requirements for fusion power plants

Because future shortages of essential materials could slow the deployment of fusion power reactors, it is important to assess the future availability of these materials. This article reviews the fuel requirements of fusion power plants in current conceptual designs with emphasis on lithium requirements. The first generation fusion reactors using the deuterium-tritium (D-T) fuel cycle are expected to consume lithium (primarily 6Li) in nuclear reactions and in replacement of neutron-damaged blanket materials. The quantity of lithium actually consumed in nuclear reactions or blanket replacement will be a small part of the natural lithium required by fusion power plant concepts that use liquid lithium metal as a moderator, fertile material, and primary coolant. Lithium inventories for a 103-GWe generating capacity will require from 400,000 to 1,200,000 metric tons of natural lithium for different power plant designs, which is about 50 to 160 yr worth of current U.S. lithium production or up to 1/3 of known U.S. lithium resources. A discussion of lithium requirements and supply suggests that the lithium usage anticipated by the developing fusion power industry may require lithium production well beyond current production growth rates. Present U.S. lithium resources appear sufficient, however, and it is expected that the costs of increasing lithium production would be within acceptable costs for fusion power plants. Careful planning will be required to manage possible problems in obtaining adequate lithium production capacity. (author)