The recent controversy over the nuclear energy mistake that America will have to pay for has made it clear that there is still a need for more awareness of what is considered a forbidden energy. This will be especially necessary now, as China is moving forward with a project that will put them as the country with the most operational nuclear energy reactors.
China’s strong bet on “forbidden energy”: America wants to banish it, but not yet
Nuclear energy has always been surrounded by controversy and fears, especially since the tragic accidents that have occurred throughout the history of its use, Chernobyl being the most representative and, more recently, the Fukushima plant. The presence of radioactive waste and the possibility of a leak or, even worse, an explosion, makes people consider it a “forbidden energy”.
However, it is important to note that forbidden energy is actually one of the most sustainable and least polluting sources of electrical power. Nuclear fission plants offer a large generation capacity and in each cycle of the energy production process only water vapor is emitted, which is the element that drives the turbines that generate the reactors.
It is important to bear this in mind when talking about the new thorium and molten salt plants that China is planning to install throughout its territory. The new reactor will consist of a generator that uses molten salts as a cooling medium, which is incredibly efficient and, by using thorium as fuel, also becomes more sustainable.
The first thorium and molten salt reactor: a strange combination that might not work out well
The use of molten salts in nuclear reactors is quite common, as it is one of the most effective ways of reducing the heat generated during fission, emitting less waste and being much safer. However, this new reactor, named TMSR-LF1, is the first to combine this material with the use of thorium as fuel.
Thorium is a much more abundant and easily extractable material than conventional uranium. This not only reduces contamination during the nuclear power supply chain, but also offers many great advantages. One of these advantages is the generation of much less radioactive waste, which also decays much faster.
Thorium is converted to uranium-232 during the plant’s power generation process. This material is contaminated with uranium-233 to prevent its use in nuclear weapons proliferation, thus ensuring compliance with strict safety standards. As it is a much more radioactive fuel and less effective as a weapon, the danger of warlike uses is eliminated.
China, the country with the most nuclear reactors: a record of which it should not be proud
The new TMSR-LF1 nuclear reactor, far from being considered off-limits energy, will make it possible to generate clean electricity using a more durable and efficient fuel in combination with a high-capacity cooling system. The advantages of this unprecedented conjunction of strategic technologies holds great promise for China’s sustainable electrification.
Currently, the nation with the most operational nuclear reactors is the United States, which has 94 operating nuclear reactors, while China has 56, ranking second. However, they are moving ahead with the construction of many new reactors that, once complete, will change the Asian giant’s place on the podium.
The end of forbidden energy? Hopefully
With so many advantages associated and the potential of these new safer and more sustainable fissile fuels, what follows is to create awareness in society. Currently, in America we have 94 nuclear energy reactors, according to latest reports from the Nuclear Energy Institute of the United States.
