China powers up the world’s first thorium molten salt reactor in the Gobi Desert

China has been responsible for some of the greatest advancements in the global tech sector. And they are responsible here as well. Their first ever thorium powered nuclear reactor has shocked the world. The reliance on nuclear power has had a disastrous effect on humanity in history. However, this new type of reactor would see all that come to an end. The details surrounding the project have come to light recently, and what China has achieved has astounded the world.

How long have we relied on the nuclear reactor for energy?

The first commercial nuclear power stations began operating in the 1950s. They had the potential to provide the world with a great amount of power. The ethical issues that arose were no doubt stemming from the possible military applications of the technology. After World War 2, the world became afraid of that word that had so much destruction attached to it, nuclear.

However, since the days of the atom bomb, the advancements in the study and practical use of nuclear power have come very far indeed. The disastrous effects that events like Chernobyl had limited the advancements nuclear power was allowed to have. Since then, the world has spent an insane amount of time and money in an attempt to find the next energy source.

With companies and governments making sizable investments in alternative energy solutions, the progress in the nuclear arena had slowed slightly. But the world has been amazed and shocked as to what the Chinese Government has been up to in the Gobi desert. Their announcement of a new type of reactor has the potential to change all of our lives forever.

What exactly have China built in the desert that has the world so shocked?

The announcement by the Chinese Academy of Sciences revealed the successful operation of a thorium-powered nuclear reactor located in the Gobi Desert. They were able to achieve full power recently. The 10-megawatt demonstration reactor project is managed by the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics and is scheduled to be operational by 2030, following a 2-MW experimental version completed in 2021. Nothing like this has ever been achieved in our long collective nuclear history.

The use of thorium does, however, introduce its own proliferation concerns. When thorium is transformed into uranium-233, it becomes directly usable in nuclear weapons — a problem that remains at the centre of the nuclear discussion, while also being the main reason for the advancements in the sector. Would we have come so far in the science if it was not for the governments of the world spending so much time and money on it for weapons?

The Gobi Desert reactor uses a molten salt reactor (MSR) that reduces the chances for a catastrophic disaster like we have seen before. What makes this a hard pill to swallow for the Americans is that the technology existed in the US back in the 40s and 50s but was ultimately abandoned in favor of uranium-based nuclear power. No doubt due to its military applications.

Will China become the global leader in the energy sector?

With some countries chasing a hydrogen powered future, this new system from the Chinese has the potential to change the energy sector and give even more power to a country that many argue has become too powerful. China’s unique energy needs and requirements necessitate innovation in the sector. And with some of the best engineering minds in the world, China will no doubt become the global leader in the energy sector. Can America and the rest of the world keep up with China’s crazy pace? Let’s wait and see.