China has successfully reloaded its thorium-based molten salt reactor while it remained operational, marking a major milestone in safe nuclear energy development that doesn’t use uranium as its main source.
Built by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the two-megawatt reactor operates in the Gobi Desert. Last year, it became the first thorium molten salt reactor to power up successfully. Now, researchers have managed to reload it without shutting it down.
Why Use Thorium?
Thorium-232 itself doesn’t undergo fission. When bombarded with neutrons, it transforms into protactinium, which then decays into uranium-233, a usable nuclear fuel. This U-233 can either be recycled or used directly in molten salt reactors.
Unlike traditional reactors that rely on high-pressure water, molten salt reactors use liquid salt as both coolant and fuel. Molten salt has a high boiling point and naturally expands under heat, helping prevent meltdowns. In case of leaks, the fuel freezes and seals itself.
Thorium vs. Uranium
Thorium is more abundant than uranium and harder to weaponize. While its byproduct U-233 can technically be used in weapons, it’s less explosive than uranium-235, reducing proliferation risks.
Molten salt reactor research began in the US during the 1960s but was abandoned. China used publicly available data to develop its reactor. The US is now catching up—Core Power plans to launch a floating network of molten salt reactors within the next decade.
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