In August 2021, China announced the completion of its first experimental thorium-based nuclear reactor. Built in the middle of the Gobi Desert in the country’s north, the reactor is undergoing testing. If the experiment proves successful, Beijing plans to construct another reactor potentially capable of generating electricity for more than 100 000 homes.  

China is not alone in its intentions to reap thorium’s unique properties. In the past, India, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and other countries have demonstrated enthusiasm for research into the possible application of thorium in nuclear power.

What can thorium offer?

Thorium boasts several advantages over the conventional nuclear fuel, uranium-235. Thorium can generate more fissile material (uranium-233) than it consumes while fuelling a water-cooled or molten-salt reactor. According to estimates, the Earth’s upper crust contains an average of 10.5 parts per million (ppm) of thorium, compared with about 3 ppm of uranium.

“Because of its abundance and its fissile material breeding capability, thorium could potentially offer a long-term solution to humanity’s energy needs,” Kailash Agarwal, a Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities Specialist at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said.

Another advantage is that thorium-fuelled reactors could be much more environmentally friendly than their uranium counterparts. In addition these reactors — and nuclear power in general — do not emit greenhouse gases in operation, they also produce less long-lived nuclear waste than present-day uranium-fuelled reactors. 

Not without challenges

However, several economic and technical obstacles make the deployment of thorium challenging. Despite its abundance, the metal is currently expensive to extract. 

 Maritime / China Unveils Plans For ‘Largest Ever’ Container Ship, Powered By Thorium Reactor

January 2024 Report: Jiangnan Shipyard, a division of state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), said the KUN-24AP, featuring a thorium-based Generation IV molten salt reactor, would prove safer and more efficient than the uranium reactors currently used to power warships.

China has an abundant supply of thorium meaning that it could be a cost-effective low-carbon alternative for shipping and other industries.