Uranium will simply not run out. The "10 years" figure stems entirely from misunderstanding what the word "reserve" means in mining.
Also, there is 3-4 times more natural thorium than natural uranium. Of natural uranium only 0.7% is U-235, which is useful in a traditional reactor. Breeders can use all of it. Thorium reactors are all breeders. Assuming only resources extractable at current market prices, using uranium breeders the reserves would last ~1400 years and the thorium reserves would last ~5k years.
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See my post: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8036690
Uranium will simply not run out. The "10 years" figure stems entirely from misunderstanding what the word "reserve" means in mining.
Also, there is 3-4 times more natural thorium than natural uranium. Of natural uranium only 0.7% is U-235, which is useful in a traditional reactor. Breeders can use all of it. Thorium reactors are all breeders. Assuming only resources extractable at current market prices, using uranium breeders the reserves would last ~1400 years and the thorium reserves would last ~5k years.