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China sets launch date for world’s first thorium molten salt nuclear power station
- Construction of a molten salt nuclear power plant that uses thorium as fuel instead of uranium is set to begin in the Gobi Desert
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![A new thorium molten salt nuclear reactor is set to begin construction next year in the Gobi Desert. Photo: Shutterstock](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/1020x680/public/d8/images/canvas/2024/07/26/b90b79a0-fcb7-40ea-955d-729b1a85e92b_484973f3.jpg?itok=4SgXP2I5&v=1721973375)
Stephen Chenin Beijing
China plans to start building the world’s first molten salt reactor power station next year in the Gobi Desert.
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The reactor does not need water for cooling because it uses liquid salt and carbon dioxide to transfer heat and generate electricity.
Using thorium as its primary fuel, it means worries over a potential shortage of uranium – the usual fuel used in nuclear reactors – are allayed, as thorium is more abundant than uranium.
According to some scientists’ estimates, China has enough thorium reserves to meet its energy needs for 20,000 years.
The reactor is scheduled to be completed and operational in 2029, generating heat at a maximum power of 60 megawatts.
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