Chinese environment authorities have officially approved the commissioning of the "Thorium Molten Salt Reactor - Liquid Fuel 1" (TMSR-LF1), marking a significant step forward in China's pursuit of clean and efficient nuclear energy.
As reported by Interesting Engineering, the reactor's construction in the Hongshagang Industrial Cluster in Wuwei City, Gansu Province, began in 2018 and was completed ahead of schedule in August 2021.
This groundbreaking initiative has been made possible by leveraging the potential of thorium, a plentiful and promising alternative to uranium.
Moreover, it is worth noting that Canada played a pivotal role in supporting this endeavor, with a collaborative agreement signed between SNC-Lavalin and the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) in 2016.
The Potential of Thorium
The International Atomic Energy Agency explains that thorium, a silvery metal found abundantly in nature, is attracting global interest due to its advantages over conventional nuclear fuel, such as uranium-235.
While thorium is not a nuclear fuel in itself, it can be utilized to produce a fissile material called uranium-233.
This characteristic allows thorium to generate more fissile material than it consumes when used in water-cooled or molten-salt reactors.
With an average thorium concentration of 10.5 parts per million in the Earth's upper crust, compared to 3 parts per million for uranium, thorium offers a potentially abundant and sustainable long-term energy solution.
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China's Thorium Molten Salt Reactor Project
The TMSR-LF1 reactor in China is an experimental liquid fluoride thorium reactor. It employs a fuel salt mixture and coolant salt, which enable the utilization of thorium and uranium-235.
With a maximum operating temperature of 650°C, the reactor aims to test various techniques such as pyro-processing, refueling, and continuous gas removal.
The goal is to study the thorium-uranium fuel cycle's stability, safety, and viability. The successful operation of TMSR-LF1 would pave the way for developing a larger thorium reactor with a capacity of 373 MWt by 2030.
Canada's Role in Advancing Thorium-Based Nuclear Energy
Canada's nuclear industry has long been at the forefront of nuclear research and development.
In 2016, a significant agreement was signed between Canadian engineering firm SNC-Lavalin and CNNC to install two advanced CANDU nuclear reactors near Shanghai, China.
Vice notes in a 2017 article that China, with its expanding nuclear sector and a focus on carbon-free energy at the time, was an ideal collaborator due to its vast stockpiles of thorium.
At the time, it was reported that the CANDU reactors would be built at the Qinshan nuclear plant and would be fuelled by reprocessed uranium recycled from conventional reactors and, later, thorium.
What's Next?
China's authorization of the TMSR-LF1 reactor represents a crucial step toward harnessing the potential of thorium in nuclear power generation.
With ongoing advancements in nuclear technologies and growing international interest, deploying thorium reactors could offer a long-term solution to humanity's energy needs while contributing to the global effort to combat climate change.
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