Page 24 - DIVA_1_2007_No.28

Thorium-based nuclear energy

Interview with

Professor Egil Lillestøl

In Norway, there has national studies. Unless
been a passionate something is done, we are
debate about whether heading towards huge
the country should energy problems in the
convert to nuclear future. To my mind, there
energy or not. Since are only two possibilities:
last
April nuclear energy and direct
year,
Professor Lilies tøl has conversion of solar heat.
been on the TV and
radio Q: Why should Norway
advocating
nuclear energy. But not support the building of a
just any form of nuclear nuclear reactor and why
energy -- his ideas are should it start work on an
based on the new tech- international research
nology of thorium, prestigious universities project on thorium-based
which promises what in Europe, such as the nuclear energy?
tJ vered: abundant, safe le supérieure and the This is all related to my col-
uranium has never deli- French École politech-
nique, the École norma-
and clean energy -- and
laboration with Carlo
itTiII radioactive waste. In We were able to meet Prize Laureate in Physics.
College de France.
a way to burn up old
Rubbia, the 1984 Nobel
addition, there is no by-
He was the man behind the
him in Geneva where he
product that can be
idea of an accelerator driven
told us about his
used for nuclear bombs
thorium-based nuclear reac-
il -- one more reason for commitment and why tor that offers no possibility
developing this techno-
nuclear energy is be-
of a meltdown. His research
.I 'I] Professor Lilies tøl is Professor Liliestøi sure that the first prototype
coming so important.
logy!
was so promising that I was
So we leave the floor to
would soon be built.
not a newcomer to the
However, it has never hap-
ii] field of nuclear energy. Let me first give you some pened due to the different
background information.
For more than forty
agendas of countries like
Over the last ten years, ave-
years, he has dedicated
France, that prefer to repla-
his life to physics, and
has increased by more then
power plants with new ones
in particular nuclear rage energy consumption ce their existing nuclear
physics, spending his 3% annually, which would instead of investing in this
time between the imply that it doubled ever project. The reason why
University in Bergen, twenty-four years. How- there has been no action is
where he is Professor ever, the progonoses are that due to several factors -- lack
of Physics, and CERN-- by the end of the twenty- of expertise, lack of fun-
first century, it will be about
European
the ding, etc.
four to six times higher than
Organization
for
it is today. This is a huge
Nuclear Then this idea came to me
Research,
where he has been the challenge, and very few that Norway should do it
Vice Director for the people are really aware of first. First of all, Norway is
Physics Department. the seriousness of the an important energy nation
Professor Lilies tøi has problem. I did not invent with advanced technology
also had PhD students these figures; everybody and with large thorium
from some of the most can read them in inter- reserves. It should take
22 1 2007 Diva
.divainternational.