Journal of Energy Security

Over the past few years China has launched efforts to develop the world's first commercial thorium - fueled reactor based on the use of liquid salt. There are a number of reasons thorium-fueled reactors, in particular the thorium molten salt reactor (TMSR), would work for China. First, nuclear fission does not produce air pollution. Second, thorium, being a by-product of rare-earth mining, is believed to be far more abundant in China than uranium. Third, it could turn thorium, currently considered a waste-by-product in the processing of rare earth elements, into something of value.
China's effort of developing a TMSR is part of a bigger program to develop both solid fueled and liquid fueled reactors.Cindy Hurst gives an overview of China's thinking in regard to thorium and the actions it is taking to develop the first thorium molten salt reactor. Read in full here.