The Power of Thor
China has reached a significant milestone in nuclear energy technology by successfully demonstrating the conversion of thorium-232 into fissile uranium-233 inside a working Thorium Molten Salt Reactor (TMSR) prototype. Located in the Gobi Desert, the experimental reactor, designated TMSR-LF1, achieved this "breeding" process and obtained crucial experimental data, confirming the technical feasibility of the thorium fuel cycle.
This liquid-fuelled reactor technology, which uses molten salt as both a fuel carrier and coolant, allows the fertile thorium to absorb neutrons to transform into uranium-233, a process that can sustain a nuclear chain reaction. This is considered a massive step towards a safer, more efficient, and potentially "limitless" source of nuclear power.
The success is particularly strategic for China due to its vast domestic thorium reserves, estimated to be around 1.3 to 1.4 million tonnes, a quantity that could power the nation for thousands of years, significantly reducing its reliance on imported uranium (of which it currently imports over 80%).
The TMSR design is hailed as a fourth-generation nuclear system, boasting inherent safety features, such as operating at atmospheric pressure and using a chemically stable salt that solidifies upon leakage, preventing a meltdown. The liquid fuel design allows for continuous refuelling without requiring a shutdown, thus significantly improving fuel utilisation and generating a much lower volume of long-lived radioactive waste compared to conventional uranium-based reactors.
While this technological feat is based on previously abandoned US research from the 1960s, China has pushed the technology to an operational reality and is now planning a larger 100 MWt demonstration project by 2035, aiming to solidify its role in advancing this next-generation nuclear technology.
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