China Achieves Key Breakthrough in Nuclear Energy: Thorium Fuel Successfully Loaded in Experimental Molten‑Salt Reactor

thorium molten-salt reactor — China confirms thorium‑uranium fuel loaded into an operational molten‑salt experimental reactor.

Key Points

What happened — thorium molten-salt reactor milestone

On November 1, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhongguo Kexueyuan 中国科学院) confirmed that a 2‑megawatt liquid‑fuel thorium‑based molten‑salt experimental reactor has completed its first conversion using thorium‑uranium fuel.

The reactor is led by the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics (Shànghǎi Yìngyòng Wùlǐ Yánjiūsuǒ 上海应用物理研究所).

The reactor is known as TMSR‑LF1 (2 MW liquid‑fuel thorium molten‑salt experimental reactor).

The TMSR‑LF1 is now the only operating molten‑salt reactor in the world that has put thorium into the core and produced operational experimental data.

Why it matters — strategic and technical takeaways

• This is the first time experimental data have been obtained from running thorium in a molten‑salt reactor, filling an international data gap.
• It provides practical verification of the thorium fuel route in an MSR (molten‑salt reactor) system.
• It strengthens the technical feasibility of using China’s sizable thorium resources to support nuclear power without exclusive reliance on natural uranium (U‑235).
• It addresses long‑term fuel‑supply concerns by offering a complementary fuel cycle that could reduce pressure on uranium imports.
• The project is highly localized: overall domestic content exceeds 90% and key core equipment is 100% domestically produced.
• The supply chain is under full domestic control, which supports industrial independence and potential exportability of components and technology.

Project timeline and technical progress — TMSR‑LF1 milestones

Construction began in January 2020.

The reactor reached full‑power operation standards for the first time in June 2024.

In October 2024 it recorded the world’s first addition of thorium into a molten‑salt reactor core.

The recent thorium‑uranium fuel conversion is the next major step in validating the thorium‑uranium fuel cycle in an operational MSR.

Safety advantages of thorium molten‑salt reactors — why investors and engineers should care

Thorium‑based molten‑salt reactors (TMSRs) are considered among the Generation IV fission systems and have distinct safety characteristics.

• Atmospheric pressure operation: TMSRs operate at atmospheric pressure rather than high pressure, removing the risk of high‑pressure explosions that affect many conventional reactors.
• Passive containment via salt solidification: The molten salt coolant solidifies if it cools, which can passively contain radioactive material and reduce the chance of a catastrophic core‑melt scenario.
• Siting flexibility: Because they don’t require large volumes of seawater for cooling, TMSRs can be sited inland or in arid regions such as deserts or the Gobi, widening deployment options.

Resource context — uranium scarcity vs. thorium potential

Traditional nuclear power relies on fissile uranium isotopes—principally U‑235— which make up only about 0.7% of natural uranium.

As of January 1, 2021, the world’s identified, recoverable uranium resources were roughly 7.91 million tonnes (≈7.91 million tonnes).

If electricity production relied only on naturally available U‑235, those resources would support global demand for fewer than 100 years.

China faces a more acute situation domestically: its uranium reserves are limited, and import dependence exceeds 70%.

By contrast, China has among the world’s largest thorium (Th) reserves.

Using a thorium‑uranium fuel cycle, thorium (Th‑232) can be converted to uranium‑233 (U‑233), a fissile material usable for energy production.

That conversion makes thorium an attractive complement or alternative to conventional uranium fuel cycles for countries with large thorium resources.

Industrial partners and domestic supply chain — who built TMSR‑LF1

The Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics intends to deepen cooperation with major national energy groups—such as State Power Investment Corporation (Guójiā Diànlì Tóuzī Jítuán 国家电力投资集团)—to build an industrial chain and supply chain for thorium‑based molten‑salt reactors.

Several publicly listed and industrial firms are participating in the TMSR‑LF1 project across technology, equipment manufacturing, and project execution roles.

Notable participants mentioned in public disclosures include:

• Shanghai Electric (Shànghǎi Diànqì 上海电气) — provided nuclear‑heat‑side molten salt systems and secondary molten‑salt heat exchangers and played a major equipment role during construction.
• Baose Co., Ltd. (Bǎosè Gǔfèn 宝色股份) — contracted for main container components related to the integrated simulation and test platform.
• Hailu Heavy Industry (Hǎilù Zhònggōng 海陆重工) — produced safety‑dedicated components such as the residual‑heat exchanger used in the TMSR‑LF1, which passed institute acceptance testing.
• Shanghai Construction Group (Shànghǎi Jiàngōng 上海建工) — participated in construction and supporting works for the experimental reactor.
• Zhefu Holding (Zhèfù Kònggǔ 浙富控股) via subsidiary Sichuan Huadu Nuclear Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Huádū Gōngsī 四川华都核设备制造有限公司) — delivered control‑rod drive mechanism prototypes and completed delivery of the control‑rod system.
• Hualing Steel (Huálíng Gāngtiě 华菱钢铁) — developed SA738Gr.B steel plates for the reactor safety container, meeting or exceeding quality standards with plate thicknesses up to 150 mm for the first pile site in Wuwei, Gansu.

Roadmap and policy goals — what’s next toward commercialization

The project leader at the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Dài Zhìmǐn (戴志敏), has set a clear target.

By 2035 the goal is to build and commission a demonstration thorium‑based molten‑salt reactor at the ~100‑megawatt scale.

That demonstration plant would accelerate engineering conversion, regulatory work, and commercialization efforts.

Reaching a ~100 MW demonstration would shift the program from experiment to engineering scale and clarify industrialization timelines for investors and partners.

Investor, founder, and engineer checklist — what to watch next

• Regulatory milestones: Watch licensing, safety reviews, and demonstration approvals that will determine deployment timelines and risk profiles.
• Supply‑chain maturity: Track how domestic vendors scale production and whether export or joint‑venture opportunities emerge.
• Cost and financing signals: Observe whether national energy groups like State Power Investment Corporation engage in funding or offtake agreements.
• Technology validation: Look for published operational data from TMSR‑LF1 and follow‑on testcampaigns that verify long‑term materials and corrosion performance.
• Siting and market planning: Note plans for inland or arid deployment and potential industrial cluster development around demonstration sites.

Takeaway

The successful thorium‑uranium fuel conversion in the TMSR‑LF1 experimental reactor represents an important technical and strategic milestone for China’s fourth‑generation nuclear effort.

It demonstrates practical progress toward leveraging domestic thorium resources, strengthening supply‑chain independence, and exploring a potentially safer and more geographically flexible nuclear power route.

The next years will focus on scaling, regulatory pathways, industrialization, and commercial demonstration.

Bottom line for readers: Follow the TMSR‑LF1 program for the first operational thorium molten‑salt reactor data and watch how China stacks industrial partners, policy targets, and domestic supply chains toward a ~100‑MW demo by 2035.

References

• 我国核能科技新突破！有望打破核电对铀依赖 – 东方财富
• Shanghai Securities News (上海证券报) – cnstock.com
• Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics (上海应用物理研究所) – sinap.cas.cn
• Shanghai Electric (上海电气) – shanghai-electric.com

thorium molten-salt reactor