The Use of Thorium in a Nuclear Power System with Thermal and Fast Neutron Reactors

The concept of a fast neutron reactor with a sodium coolant with metallic U–Pu fuel in the core and metallic uranium and thorium in the blankets is considered. The achievement of the required system characteristics for the initial loading and surplus fuel breeding is demonstrated. Several scenarios of the development of a two-component nuclear power system in Russia based on the VVER-type thermal reactors and fast reactors with metallic fuel involving the thorium resources are considered.