The AVR was originally designed to breed uranium-233 from thorium-232. A practical thorium breeder reactor was considered valuable technology. However, the AVR's fuel design contained the fuel so well that the transmuted fuels were uneconomic to extract—it was cheaper to use mined and purified uranium.
The AVR was originally designed to breed uranium-233 from thorium-232. A practical thorium breeder reactor was considered valuable technology However, the AVR's fuel design contained the fuel so well that the transmuted fuels were uneconomic to extract—it was cheaper to use mined and purified uranium.