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Months after satellites spotted a massive fusion facility in Sichuan, China has made a huge leap in fission technology. Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences recently revealed that they've successfully operated a thorium-powered nuclear reactor in the Gobi Desert, hitting a major milestone. They not only ran the reactor at full power last June but also reloaded it while it was still running — a world-first achievement!
This is big news for nuclear energy. Thorium is seen as a safer, more accessible fuel compared to uranium, which has military uses. Thorium reactors are much harder to weaponize, making them less risky for nuclear proliferation. In fact, thorium-based reactors are considered a poor source for building nuclear weapons, unlike uranium.
The reactor in the Gobi Desert is a small, two-megawatt research unit that uses molten salt as both fuel and coolant. These molten salt reactors (MSRs) are much safer than traditional water-based reactors. They work at lower pressures and can handle higher amounts of heat. And if something goes wrong, the molten fuel naturally cools down and stays contained, unlike water reactors, which can explode like Chernobyl.
This kind of reactor isn’t new — the US actually researched molten salt reactors in the late '40s and early '50s, with plans for nuclear-powered stealth bombers. But in 1961, Congress cut funding, and uranium became the go-to fuel. The US research was made public, and it laid the groundwork for the Chinese team's work in the Gobi Desert.
Xu Hongjie, the lead scientist on the project, pointed out that the US left their research open for future exploration. "Rabbits sometimes make mistakes or grow lazy. That’s when the tortoise seizes its chance," he said, highlighting how China took advantage of this opportunity. This could totally change the nuclear energy game, providing a safer, cleaner, and more sustainable energy source with less risk of nuclear weapons production.
This is big news for nuclear energy. Thorium is seen as a safer, more accessible fuel compared to uranium, which has military uses. Thorium reactors are much harder to weaponize, making them less risky for nuclear proliferation. In fact, thorium-based reactors are considered a poor source for building nuclear weapons, unlike uranium.
The reactor in the Gobi Desert is a small, two-megawatt research unit that uses molten salt as both fuel and coolant. These molten salt reactors (MSRs) are much safer than traditional water-based reactors. They work at lower pressures and can handle higher amounts of heat. And if something goes wrong, the molten fuel naturally cools down and stays contained, unlike water reactors, which can explode like Chernobyl.
This kind of reactor isn’t new — the US actually researched molten salt reactors in the late '40s and early '50s, with plans for nuclear-powered stealth bombers. But in 1961, Congress cut funding, and uranium became the go-to fuel. The US research was made public, and it laid the groundwork for the Chinese team's work in the Gobi Desert.
Xu Hongjie, the lead scientist on the project, pointed out that the US left their research open for future exploration. "Rabbits sometimes make mistakes or grow lazy. That’s when the tortoise seizes its chance," he said, highlighting how China took advantage of this opportunity. This could totally change the nuclear energy game, providing a safer, cleaner, and more sustainable energy source with less risk of nuclear weapons production.
