China Just Unlocked Unlimited Clean Nuclear Power – First Thorium Reactor Now Producing Uranium Fuel

China has announced a world-first scientific breakthrough with the successful conversion of thorium into uranium fuel within its experimental two-megawatt liquid-fuelled thorium molten salt reactor (TMSR) located in the Gobi Desert. Developed by the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, this achievement represents the first operational molten salt reactor to incorporate thorium fuel and demonstrate sustained nuclear fission from thorium resources.

The reactor, which has been in development since 2011 as part of a national scientific pilot project, uses thorium-232 that captures neutrons and transforms into fissile uranium-233, enabling a self-sustaining "burn while breeding" cycle. This technical milestone validates the feasibility of thorium as a next-generation nuclear fuel, which could provide China with virtually unlimited and cleaner energy while significantly reducing long-lived radioactive waste.

Thorium offers several advantages over uranium, including greater abundance, less toxicity, and lower risk of nuclear proliferation, making it an attractive alternative for future energy security. Unlike conventional uranium reactors that require massive water cooling, China’s TMSR operates without water, making it suitable for arid regions. The Shanghai Institute aims to build larger demonstration reactors by 2029 and commercial-scale plants by 2035, supporting China’s goal of energy independence and leadership in advanced nuclear technology.

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China’s success builds on declassified US research from the 1960s, which was shelved in favor of uranium systems but has now been practically implemented by Chinese scientists. This breakthrough in thorium molten salt technology not only reshapes clean energy prospects in China but also positions the country at the forefront of global innovation in fourth-generation nuclear reactors.

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