List of countries by thorium resources
Thorium resources are the estimated mineral reserves of thorium on Earth. Thorium is a future potential source of low-carbon energy.[1] Thorium has been demonstrated to perform as a nuclear fuel in several reactor designs.[2][3] It is present with a higher abundance than uranium in the crust of the earth. Thorium resources have not been estimated and assessed with a higher level of confidence, as in the case of uranium. Approximately 6 million tonnes of thorium have been estimated globally based on currently limited exploration and mainly on historical data.[4][5]
Thorium resources are found widely in over 35 countries all over the world. As there is currently negligible commercial use of thorium, the resources should be considered potentially viable according to the United Nations Framework Classification for Resources. Figures are given in metric tonnes of thorium metal.
| Country | Total thorium resources, tonnes Th (rounded) | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Angola | 10,000 | Historical data[6] |
| Argentina | 35,910 | Recent reassessment[7] |
| Australia | 595,000 | [8] |
| Brazil | 632,000 | [9] |
| Canada | 172,000 | [10] |
| China | 100,000 | Possibly many hundred thousand tonnes.[11] |
| Congo, Democratic Republic of | 2,500 | [6] |
| Egypt | 380,000 | Historical data[12] |
| Finland | 60,000 | Historical data[13] |
| France | 1,000 | Historical data. Estimated to be from several hundred to a thousand tonnes.[14] |
| Greenland (Denmark) | 86,000 | Current active exploration. Possibly up to 684,000 t.[15] |
| India | 846,477 | [16] |
| Iran | 30,000 | Historical data[17] |
| Kenya | 8,000 | Historical data[12] |
| Kazakhstan | 50,000 | [18] |
| Korea, Republic of | 6,000 | [19] |
| Madagascar | 22,000 | Historical data[20] |
| Malawi | 9,000 | Historical data[21] |
| Malaysia | 18,000 | [22] |
| Morocco | 30,000 | Historical data[21] |
| Mozambique | 10,000 | [23] |
| Nigeria | 29,000 | [23] |
| Norway | 87,000 | Historical data[24] |
| Peru | 20,000 | [25] |
| Russia | 155,000 | [26][27] |
| South Africa | 148,000 | [28] |
| Sri Lanka | 4,000 | [27] |
| Sweden | 50,000 | Historical data[29] |
| Taiwan | 9,000 | [18] |
| Thailand | 10,000 | Historical data[30] |
| Turkey | 381,000 | Historical data[31] |
| United States of America | 595,000 | [32] |
| Uruguay | 3,000 | Historical data[25] |
| Uzbekistan | 5,000 | [33] |
| Venezuela | 300,000 | Historical data[25] |
| Vietnam | 5,000 | [33] |
| Others (Africa) | 1,000 | Historical data[18] |
| Others (CIS) (excluding Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan) | 1,340,000 | [18] |
| Total | 6,245,887 |
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Role of Thorium to Supplement Fuel Cycles of Future Nuclear Energy Systems". www.iaea.org. 2016-09-16. Retrieved 2020-08-22.
- ^ "Thorium Fuel Cycle - Potential Benefits and Challenges". www.iaea.org. 2019-02-28. Retrieved 2020-08-22.
- ^ "Introduction of Thorium in the Nuclear Fuel Cycle | en | OECD". www.oecd.org. Retrieved 2020-08-22.
- ^ International Atomic Energy Agency 2019, p. 112.
- ^ "Thorium - World Nuclear Association". www.world-nuclear.org. Retrieved 2020-08-23.
- ^ a b International Atomic Energy Agency 2019, p. 49.
- ^ International Atomic Energy Agency 2019, p. 38.
- ^ International Atomic Energy Agency 2019, p. 99.
- ^ International Atomic Energy Agency 2019, p. 39.
- ^ International Atomic Energy Agency 2019, p. 29.
- ^ International Atomic Energy Agency 2019, p. 63.
- ^ a b International Atomic Energy Agency 2019, p. 50.
- ^ International Atomic Energy Agency 2019, p. 14.
- ^ International Atomic Energy Agency 2019, p. 15.
- ^ International Atomic Energy Agency 2019, p. 17.
- ^ International Atomic Energy Agency 2019, p. 68.
- ^ International Atomic Energy Agency 2019, p. 75.
- ^ a b c d International Atomic Energy Agency 2019, p. 105.
- ^ International Atomic Energy Agency 2019, p. 76.
- ^ International Atomic Energy Agency 2019, p. 51.
- ^ a b International Atomic Energy Agency 2019, p. 53.
- ^ International Atomic Energy Agency 2019, p. 78.
- ^ a b International Atomic Energy Agency 2019, p. 54.
- ^ International Atomic Energy Agency 2019, p. 20.
- ^ a b c International Atomic Energy Agency 2019, p. 47.
- ^ International Atomic Energy Agency 2019, pp. 21–22.
- ^ a b International Atomic Energy Agency 2019, p. 83.
- ^ International Atomic Energy Agency 2019, p. 57.
- ^ International Atomic Energy Agency 2019, p. 23.
- ^ International Atomic Energy Agency 2019, p. 85.
- ^ International Atomic Energy Agency 2019, p. 26.
- ^ International Atomic Energy Agency 2019, p. 106.
- ^ a b International Atomic Energy Agency 2019, p. 86.
Sources edit
- International Atomic Energy Agency (2019). World Thorium Occurrences, Deposits and Resources (PDF) (Report).