SMRTR Science & EngineeringApr 17, 2025Interesting Engineering

China builds world’s first working thorium reactor using declassified US documents

SMRTR summary

China has achieved a breakthrough in clean energy by successfully reloading fuel into a running thorium molten salt reactor in the Gobi Desert. This 2-megawatt experimental unit uses thorium as a safer alternative to uranium. The milestone advances China's thorium reactor technology, which could supply the country's energy needs for millennia with less radioactive waste. China is building a larger 10-megawatt thorium reactor for 2030 and exploring applications like zero-emission ships.

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