China announces its energy transition steps with the construction of the first thorium and molten salt-based nuclear power plant. Unlike nuclear power plants, this system does not require water to cool the core, allowing for a more compact and simplified design. In addition, this reactor has the advantage of being virtually accident-proof.
The thorium and molten salt nuclear power plant
The South China Morning Post reported that this plant, which will be located in the Gobi desert, will be operational in 2029 and will have a maximum heat generation capacity of 60 megawatts. The Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, will be responsible for both the construction and operation of this modular power plant.
This project will contribute to China’s energy independence, while boosting the development of new technologies in high-end materials and equipment, according to a report by theShanghai Nuclear Engineering Research and Design Institute.
Nuclear reactor operation
The idea of using molten salt in nuclear fission reactors is not a new technology. In fact, scientists have been exploring this development since the 1950s. The first prototype was tested in the United States in the 1960s, using salt as a coolant, allowing the reactor to operate at pressures close to atmospheric, rather than the high pressures required by uranium reactors.
In the case of the Chinese design, it implements thorium as the fuel, which is mixed with molten salt to flow through the reactor. This process generates a nuclear chain reaction that produces heat, which is transferred to an external steam generator before returning to the reactor to continue the cycle. In addition, the molten salt has a high melting point, allowing it to solidify quickly and prevent the release of radioactive waste on site.
Moreover, the system includes a second layer of safety. In the event of a leak, the molten salt would be deposited in a subway container designed to prevent the dispersion of radioactive materials. The choice of thorium as a fuel is strategic for China, because this material is abundant in the country, unlike uranium.
New approaches and horizons for Nuclear Energy
Currently, the world’s only operating thorium reactor is also located in the Gobi Desert, about 120 km northwest of the city of Wuwei. This experimental reactor, which achieved a sustainable nuclear reaction last October, has a capacity of only 2 MW of thermal power and does not generate electricity. However, the new reactor is designed to go much further and contribute to the country’s energy development.
The location of the new plant will include multiple energy sources, such as a wind farm, a solar power plant, a molten salt energy storage plant and a chemical production base, as an ideal location strategy.
The thermal energy produced by the reactor will be used to generate electricity and produce hydrogen by splitting water molecules at high temperature. These various energy sources will be integrated into a smart grid designed to provide low-cost, low-carbon electricity for industrial production.
This Chinese thorium reactor will compete to be the first in the world to go into operation, facing the project of Bill Gates and his company TerraPowerin collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy. Construction of this other reactor, located in Kemmerer, Wyoming, began last month and is expected to be ready in 2030.
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Source: Interesting Engineering
Photo: Shutterstock
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