SHANGHAI, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- China has successfully achieved the first-ever thorium to uranium nuclear fuel conversion in a Thorium Molten Salt Reactor (TMSR), and obtained valid experimental data following thorium fuel loading, confirming the technical feasibility of thorium utilization in a molten-salt reactor nuclear energy system, according to the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics (SINAP) on Saturday.

The experimental TMSR, which was built by SINAP in collaboration with other Chinese institutions, is currently the only operational molten-salt reactor in the world loaded with thorium fuel. The realization of thorium-uranium conversion marks a milestone in TMSR development, providing core technical support and a feasible solution for China's large-scale development and utilization of thorium resources, and for the future progress of advanced nuclear energy systems.

Molten-salt reactors are fourth-generation advanced nuclear energy systems that use high-temperature molten salt as a coolant. They boast inherent safety features, cool without water, run at atmospheric pressure, and deliver a high-temperature output. These features mean the reactors are widely recognized as the most suitable type for thorium resource utilization in nuclear energy production.

This technological route aligns particularly well with China's abundant thorium reserves. It also allows for deep integration with industries such as solar power, wind power, high-temperature molten-salt energy storage, high-temperature hydrogen production, coal chemical engineering and petrochemical engineering, facilitating the construction of a complementary, low-carbon, integrated energy system.

According to SINAP, the TMSR program was launched in 2011, achieving major progress from laboratory research to the engineering verification of core materials, equipment and technologies. With domestically developed core equipment and an independent supply chain, China has established complete TMSR technology and industrial chains in basic terms.

SINAP said that it will work with leading energy companies to consolidate the TMSR industrial and supply chains, and accelerate technology iteration and engineering application. The ultimate goal is to construct a 100-megawatt demonstration project and realize its demonstration application by 2035.