Posted By: TrimIt should produce less waste.

Everyone should …

Government moves forward with HTGRs.

https://www.theengineer.co.uk/government-htgrs-advanced-modular-reactor-amr/

Regardless of the reactor technology, the issue is getting U233 from Th232. You need a neutron source. One option is a plutonium-thorium mix. Calling the energy-producing affair a "thorium reactor" is more than a bit disingenuous. It's still a uranium reactor; just uses U233 instead of U235.

Instead of watching a video from some guy trying to get views, why not read an article from the WNA? Probably faster than sitting through an 18 minute video.

Recall, also, that Jimmy Carter (later reinforced by Bill Clinton) pretty much terminated all breeder reactor activity in the US and pressured other nuclear nations to do likewise. Today, I believe that Russia operates the only two breeder reactors in the world. Heaven only knows what sort of shape those are in.

I suspect that China is probably trying to fabricate an excuse to improve its nuclear arsenal. From WikiP:

In 1994, the US government declassified a 1966 memo that states that uranium-233 has been shown to be highly satisfactory as a weapons material, though it is only superior to plutonium in rare circumstances. It was claimed that if the existing weapons were based on uranium-233 instead of plutonium-239, Livermore would not be interested in switching to plutonium.

There's also the U232 contamination issue. So not exactly "safe".

Looks like the US will be producing its own Mo99 for medical purposes

Another blow for the CANDU reactor at Darlington. Although the Tc99m that I was injected with last year came from Oz. Or so I was told.

Why not talk economics? Nuclear power is currently about twice as expensive as renewables to build and operate.

And, it takes 15 years to build a plant. A windfarm at sea of comparable production takes less than 2 years.
Then there is the innovation. Solar and specially battery technology became 10x cheaper in the last 10 years. While nuclear power became more expensive and is still 1950th technology. By the time a nuclear plant is build, solar and batteries will be 50% cheaper again, making the nuclear power even 4x more expensive.

Companies only invest in nuclear power when society takes over the insurance risk and decommissioning risk (formally or informally). And if government ensures an indexed flat kWh fee (at twice current market price).

And what about scaling up? There is a whole infrastructure needed with enrichment facilities, radio active waste processing facilities, factories that can build the reactors, investors that are willing to pay, staff willing to work. Last year less than 1 GW of nuclear power was commissioned worldwide, while 250 GW of solar and wind was.

Storage. Using a mythical technology not invented yet.

Offshore wind at North Sea has 5000 full load hours nowadays. Is nearly baseload.

Imagine 80% of cars are electric with 75kWH battery. In the Netherlands that would give 500 million kWH storage (500 GWh). That equals more than 24 hours of the total national power consumption.

Hydrogen imported in adapted LNG ships from solar rich countries. The gas distribution infrastructure in NL is tested to be able to be used for hydrogen. Also the LNG storages and underground seasonal storage (special old gas fields). The seasonal storage can provide for half of North West Europe.

Increase the NL interconnection capacity with surrounding countries to balance out supply fluctuations. Currently there are HVDC cables operational with Norway, Denmark and the UK. Land connections with Germany and Belgium. Total interconnection capacity exceeds national demand. The interconnection with Norway provides remote (pumped) hydro capacity (in practice it is used for market arbitrage, Norway has almost constant prices, North West Europe has large price swings. The result is Norway exporting to NL when there is little wind/solar in North West Europe, and importing from the NL when there is a lot of wind).

Another solution would be fewer people using less power to maintain a restrained lifestyle. That's the world where we seem actually to be headed. We just have to hope that "fewer"!=0.

Actually no - no we don't. Aneutronic fusion has little to do with the confidence tricks of some sad Irish git.