China Achieves Thorium-Uranium Conversion
The Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics (SINAP) has accomplished the world’s first thorium-to-uranium fuel conversion in its experimental Thorium Molten Salt Reactor (TMSR). The experiment confirms the viability of thorium utilisation within molten-salt reactor systems.
Breakthrough in Thorium Nuclear Research
SINAP, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, reported obtaining verified experimental data after loading thorium fuel. The achievement confirms the technical practicality of using thorium in nuclear energy generation. The 2 MW TMSR, built jointly by SINAP and several Chinese research institutions in Wuwei City, Gansu Province, is currently the only operational molten-salt reactor in the world using thorium fuel.
Strategic Significance
The successful thorium-uranium conversion marks a major step in TMSR advancement. It provides China with new technological leverage for large-scale thorium resource deployment and for the continued evolution of next-generation nuclear systems.
“Featuring thorium-uranium conversion, it is the first time in the world that thorium was added to a molten-salt reactor, demonstrating the feasibility of our thorium resources utilisation. It is also a unique thorium-uranium cycle research platform in the world, laying a solid foundation for the construction of demonstration reactors and relevant commercial development in the future,” said SINAP Director Dai Zhimin.
Key Points
- First successful thorium-to-uranium conversion in a molten-salt reactor.
- Conducted by SINAP under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
- The 2 MW TMSR in Gansu Province is currently the only thorium-loaded reactor of its kind.
- Establishes thorium’s potential role in China’s energy transition and nuclear innovation.
Author’s Summary: China’s pioneering thorium-uranium fuel conversion in its TMSR marks a critical milestone for future thorium-based nuclear energy innovation.