Thorium Molten Salt Reactor
Geography: Asia Pacific · East Asia · China
Located in the Gobi Desert near Wuwei, Gansu Province, the 2MW pilot reactor operated at full power for 10 days with thorium fuel in October 2025, successfully detecting protactinium-233 — proof that the thorium breeding cycle works. A larger commercial plant is under construction nearby, targeting completion by 2030.
Thorium's advantages over uranium are significant: it's 4x more abundant, produces less long-lived radioactive waste, and the reactor design is inherently safer — molten salt reactors drain into a catch basin if they overheat, making meltdowns physically impossible.
The technology is now being adapted for maritime use: Jiangnan Shipyard plans the world's first thorium-powered container ship with a 200MW reactor. If successful, a single cargo ship could sail for 10 years without refueling, eliminating the shipping industry's dependence on bunker fuel.
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