Burying Plutonium:Watt a Waste

Fast reactor is an important constituent of India's nuclear power programme. It is also a bridge to the eventual utilization of large thorium reserves of the country. Fast reactors require plutonium, which is obtained by reprocessing the spent fuel from thermal reactors. One option to expedite the fast reactor (and thorium) programme is to access the global stockpile of separated plutonium. Use of plutonium in thermal reactors has had limited success and immobilization and burying are being considered as an option. However, in a world starved of clean energy, plutonium is too precious an energy source to be buried. India should pursue acquiring access to global stocks of separated plutonium to accelerate its fast reactor programme and expedite thorium programme.