World Blog by humble servant.China Poised to Lead Global Nuclear Energy with Massive Thorium Find

China Poised to Lead Global Nuclear Energy with Massive Thorium Find  

Thorium Discovery  

China has uncovered a 1-million-ton thorium deposit, valued at $178 billion, capable of powering the nation for 60,000 years. Thorium, a radioactive metal three times more abundant than uranium, produces energy equivalent to 200 tons of uranium or 3.5 million tons of coal per ton.  

“Wars have been fought over oil and gas, yet a clean energy solution has been under our feet all along,” a Chinese scientist noted. Thorium is less toxic than uranium, with its radioactive waste losing toxicity in hundreds of years, compared to thousands for uranium-235. Thorium reactors emit no greenhouse gases and can power molten salt reactors, heavy water reactors, and high-temperature gas-cooled reactors.  

India’s Thorium Leadership  

India leads in thorium-based nuclear technology, with multi-billion-dollar projects underway. Its Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) use uranium to generate plutonium, which Fast Breeder Reactors (FBRs) convert into fissile uranium-233. The Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) operates on thorium-plutonium and thorium-uranium-233 fuels.  

India holds an estimated 846,477 to 1 million tons of thorium, previously about 30% of global reserves. It aims for 100 GW of nuclear capacity by 2047. China’s new deposit now matches India’s thorium reserves.  

China’s Energy Shift  

In 2024, China imported 16,390 tons of uranium ($2.32 billion) from Russia and Kazakhstan, aiming for one-third domestic sourcing. This thorium discovery could transform its energy landscape, supporting plans for energy self-sufficiency by 2035 as coal is phased out.  

Nuclear Implications  

Thorium itself is not fissile and cannot directly fuel nuclear weapons, but uranium-233, derived from thorium, can. The U.S. produced and tested uranium-233 during the Cold War.  

With their vast thorium reserves, China and India are positioned to dominate global nuclear energy production.