12 October 2004	Tuesday	26 Shaban 1425

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 11: The government has asked the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) to find "alternative sources of nuclear energy, other than uranium," to meet the growing energy requirement of the country.

Sources told Dawn on Monday that the authorities had been informed that "after depletion of fossil fuel by the middle of the 21st century," the country's need for nuclear energy would increase.

As the existing sources of nuclear fuel were not enough, the PAEC suggested the energy gap could be filled by producing power by using thorium. Since thorium is a fertile material and not a fossil material, the PAEC believes that it could be an alternative source of nuclear energy. Thorium can be obtained from 'monazite concentrate'.

Techniques such as solvent extraction, absorption, precipitation and filtration have mostly been used for the separation of thorium from its mineral concentrates.

In the first stage, the PAEC has sought Rs82 million to set up a project -Recovery of thorium (nuclear fuel breeder of future) from ores - to be undertaken by the Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology.

The commission has been asked to give detailed objectives of the project and indicate and quantify, if possible, the long-term targets. It has been asked to provide details of recurrent expenditure.

The government wants the PAEC to indicate the operational arrangements for the implementation and the agency responsible for meeting the recurrent cost. PAEC officials said the research and its findings would be used in the execution of the project and its results published in national and international journals.