According to the South China Morning Post, the new Chinese reactor will use thorium, a much safer and more abundant material. In contrast to traditional nuclear reactors that use uranium and require heavy, large cooling systems and high pressure, the power of the ship will be similar to the “S6W” reactor used in advanced U.S. Navy vessels.
The newspaper pointed out that if this technology is successfully implemented on a large scale in the future, it could lead to significant advancements. Notably, China recently revealed that the thorium metal, estimated at one million tons within the Bayan Obo mine in Inner Mongolia, could be enough to generate electricity for 60,000 years.
Thorium represents a promising option as it provides a strategic alternative for nuclear fuel supplies, and its use in most types of reactors enhances safety levels.
