Chinese scientists have been researching molten salt nuclear power plants using thorium for many years. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Beijing even created a prototype reactor in 2021.
According to Interesting Engineering, China plans to build and operate a "safer, greener" power plant by 2025 in the Gobi desert, where a small test reactor is located.
Thorium nuclear power plants do not require water for cooling. They transfer heat and generate electricity with the help of liquid salt. According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), thorium is also more abundant than uranium - the material used in conventional nuclear plants.
Safety can be one of the biggest wins. “Forsaking the water-cooling model, this design significantly reduces the risk of meltdown,” writes Kapil Kajal of Interesting Engineering.
Nuclear power can provide reliable power without causing air pollution by trapping heat. There are currently about 440 reactors in more than 30 countries. According to the World Nuclear Association, these plants produce about 9% of the planet's electricity.
Fission reactions create nuclear waste, which can last for decades. And meltdowns, while rare, can be disastrous.
But thorium offers another alternative, although there are obstacles to overcome. American experts researched a thorium reactor in the 1960s but canceled it after about a decade.
The IAEA said that although difficult to handle and expensive to exploit, China's prototype seems to have brought positive signals.
The SCMP paper describes how this process works: Molten salt carries thorium fuel into the reactor core through pipes to undergo a chain reaction. Once the temperature increases, it flows out the other side and transfers heat to the thorium-free molten salt circulating in a separate loop.
The non-radioactive molten salt then flows into the power plant next to the reactor to turn turbines.
According to SCMP, more than 80% of used fuel can be recycled, the rest is "cured into glass" and stored underground in the desert.
The compact models could be used to power ships and military vehicles, SCMP noted. This is part of China's goal of building 150 advanced nuclear reactors by 2035. By comparison, the US has 93 reactors.
Reliable and inexpensive nuclear innovation could eliminate most of the planet-warming gases that health experts say are linked to serious health problems, such as Asthma and even cancer risk.
