China is poised to test a thorium-powered nuclear reactor in September, the world’s first since 1969.
The theory is that this new molten-salt technology will be “safer” and “greener” than regular uranium reactors, and so could help Beijing meet its climate goals. Yet is the country's investment in this also geostrategic?
A new page in the history of nuclear energy could be written this September, in the middle of the Gobi Desert, in the north of China. At the end of August, Beijing announced that it had completed the construction of its first thorium-fuelled molten-salt nuclear reactor, with plans to begin the first tests of this alternative technology to current nuclear reactors within the next two weeks.
XTRA READING How are uranium and thorium used in nuclear reactors? The energy generated by the natural breakdown of radioactive elements is immense and can be used in nuclear reactors. Australia has significant resources of both uranium and thorium within the rocks that make up the Australian continent. The mining of uranium has been a hot topic in Australia since the 1970s.
What's the difference between thorium and uranium reactors? It’s important to understand the differences between uranium and thorium when considering developments in nuclear energy. Here are a few key ways they differ. One reason thorium is an interesting alternative to uranium is that it is cheaper and more abundant.
Which is the largest source of thorium in the world?List of Countries By Thorium Reserves Rank Country Reserves (Tonnes) 1 India 963,000 2 United States 440,000 3 Australia 300,000 4 Canada 100,000
