Thorium is more abundant in nature than uranium. It is fertile rather than fissile, and can be used in conjunction with fissile material as nuclear fuel. The use of thorium as a new primary energy source has been a tantalizing prospect for many years.

India has a largely indigenous nuclear power programme and has ambitious plans to expand nuclear capacity. The country has a vision of becoming a world leader in nuclear technology due to its expertise in fast reactors and thorium fuel cycle.

Mineral Sands Appendix to NORM Information Paper ( March 2008 ) Australia and Africa are major producers of mineral sands containing titanium minerals and zircon.   A by-product of this is monazite containing thorium, which is radioactive. Monazite is a minor constituent of many mineral sands deposits

Molten salt reactor use molten fluoride salts as primary coolant, at low pressure. Much of the interest today in reviving the MSR concept relates to using thorium (to breed fissile uranium-233).