China achieves 1st thorium-to-uranium fuel conversion in molten salt reactor

Construction commenced in 2020, and equipment installation concluded in 2022. By June last year, the reactor reached full-power operation at 650 C and in September, it received the world's first experimental license to load thorium fuel into a molten salt reactor. The first thorium loading was successfully completed in October last year, establishing the world's only research platform dedicated to molten salt reactors and thorium-uranium fuel cycle studies.

"The program brought together nearly 100 domestic research institutions, universities and industrial companies. The collaborative team overcame key challenges in reactor design, critical material and equipment development, installation and commissioning, and reactor safety," Cai said.

Cai emphasized that the team had pioneered technologies for controlling oxygen content in thorium fluoride and established a preparation process for nuclear-grade thorium-based fuel salt.