Development requirements in reprocessing thorium fuels

Thorium fuels have been much discussed over the past few years as a replacement for uranium in main-line power reactors, or in special systems to consume minor actinides or unwanted stocks of plutonium. Less attention has been paid to the reprocessing. Existing knowledge is a useful basis for a tentative scheme to reprocess thorium fuels, but the reasons for favouring thorium, the types of fuel in which it is most likely to be used, and external circumstances with their consequent requirements have all changed since the early work was performed. The amount still to be done should not be under-estimated. (author)