A recently declassified report suggests that China possesses significantly larger thorium reserves than previously estimated.
The radioactive metal, already known to exist in abundance within China, could be the key to an almost limitless energy supply.
The study, completed in 2020, indicates that China’s thorium deposits surpass earlier projections by several magnitudes.
Experts believe this discovery could transform global energy production and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
A Beijing-based geologist, speaking anonymously to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), emphasized the importance of the findings.
“For over a century, nations have fought wars over fossil fuels, yet a vast energy source has been right beneath our feet,” the geologist said. “Every country has thorium. Imagine cargo ships powered by compact reactors traveling for years without refueling.”
Thorium, a silver-colored metal, can generate 200 times more energy than uranium. Unlike conventional uranium reactors, thorium molten-salt reactors (TMSRs) are compact, do not require water cooling, cannot melt down, and produce minimal long-lived radioactive waste.
In 2023, China approved the construction of the world’s first TMSR power plant in the Gobi Desert. Expected to generate 10 megawatts of electricity, the pilot project aims to be operational by 2029.
North Korea says it performed cruise missile tests, days after it vowed to respond to US threats
The report also highlights the potential of thorium found in mining waste. Just five years’ worth of waste from an iron ore site in Inner Mongolia contains enough thorium to power U.S. households for over a thousand years. The Bayan Obo mining complex alone could yield around one million tonnes of thorium, potentially supplying China’s energy needs for 60,000 years.
“These thorium resources in tailings remain completely untapped,” wrote the study’s lead researcher, senior engineer Fan Honghai, from the National Key Laboratory of Uranium Resource Exploration-Mining and Nuclear Remote Sensing in Beijing, as reported by SCMP.
The national thorium survey identified 233 thorium-rich zones across China, concentrated in five key regions from inland Xinjiang to coastal Guangdong. These deposits, primarily magmatic and hydrothermal, are often found alongside rare earth elements. In provinces like Fujian and Hainan, monazite-rich coastal sands contain easily extractable thorium.
Despite its potential, significant challenges remain. Extracting thorium from rare earth ores requires substantial amounts of acid and energy, generating large volumes of wastewater. Additionally, concerns exist regarding the possible weaponization of thorium by-products, though experts argue these materials are not viable for nuclear weapons.
China’s thorium research aligns with advancements in nuclear propulsion technology. The country recently unveiled the KUN-24AP, the world’s first thorium-powered nuclear container ship design, and is also exploring thorium reactors for lunar bases—highlighting the metal’s role in future energy solutions.
China begins repatriation of over 1,000 online scam workers from Myanmar via Thailand
“The demand for thorium in nuclear power and propulsion sectors presents both opportunities and challenges for its exploration and utilization in China,” Fan and his team noted in the report.
Due to national security concerns, China’s total thorium reserves remain classified. However, the latest findings suggest the country could be sitting on an almost limitless supply of clean energy.
The report was published in the Chinese journal Geological Review.
Source: South China Morning Post (SCMP)