China gives green light to the nation's first thorium reactor
China’s nuclear safety watchdog has issued an operational permit for the nation’s first thorium reactor, marking a significant milestone in the country’s pursuit of advanced nuclear technologies, South China Morning Post reported.
China gives green light to the nation's first thorium reactor
New Sustainable Economics

China gives green light to the nation's first thorium reactor

Photo: AFP/Xinhua/Wang Chenxi
Eurasia 19/06/2023 06:30

China’s nuclear safety watchdog has issued an operational permit for the nation’s first thorium reactor, marking a significant milestone in the country’s pursuit of advanced nuclear technologies, South China Morning Post reported.

National Nuclear Safety Administration has issued an operational permit for the nation's first thorium reactor, South China Morning Post reported. The reactor, a two-megawatt liquid-fuelled thorium molten salt reactor (MSR), is located in the Gobi Desert city of Wuwei in Gansu province, and it's marking a significant milestone in the country's pursuit of advanced nuclear technologies. 

Thorium MSRs are a type of advanced nuclear technology that use liquid fuels, typically molten salts, as both a fuel and a coolant. They offer several potential advantages over traditional uranium reactors, including increased safety, reduced waste and improved fuel efficiency, the site added.

Thorium is also a more abundant resource compared with uranium, and China has significant thorium reserves.
AFP/Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan 
The reactor is a significant achievement for China’s nuclear energy sector. It showed the country’s progress in developing and deploying advanced nuclear technologies and positioned China as a potential leader in thorium reactor technology, according to experts in China’s nuclear industry who asked not to be named because they were not authorised to speak to the media. 
AFP/Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan

One of the advantages of thorium MSRs is their flexibility in terms of location. The use of molten salts as both a fuel and a coolant allows for more efficient heat transfer and potentially eliminates the need for large quantities of water, which is a significant advantage in areas where water resources are limited. By using thorium MSRs, China could potentially establish nuclear power plants in cities far from coastal areas. This could help diversify the country’s energy mix, reduce dependence on fossil fuels and meet the growing energy demand from inland regions, SCMP added.

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