China's fourth-generation nuclear fission reactor—the thorium-based molten salt reactor—has been officially completed and achieved thorium-uranium conversion, making it the only operational molten salt reactor in the world and the country's sole nuclear reactor currently built in the Gobi Desert.

Using thorium, which is abundant in China, as nuclear fuel is no longer science fiction but a reality in progress. According to official announcements from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the thorium-based molten salt reactor in Minqin, Gansu, has been successfully constructed and achieved thorium-uranium conversion. As a core representative of fourth-generation nuclear fission reactor technology, it not only achieves a leap in safety and energy efficiency but also promises to resolve China's long-standing dependence on imported nuclear fuel, positioning the country as a global leader in molten salt reactor technology. What groundbreaking technological breakthroughs has this "nuclear-powered miracle" born in the Gobi Desert achieved?

For a long time, China's nuclear energy development has been constrained by the "shortage of uranium resources." The emergence of the thorium-based molten salt reactor presents a pivotal opportunity for China to "overtake by changing lanes"—breaking the traditional reliance on uranium fuel and utilizing thorium, which is abundant in the country, as an alternative.

However, there is a critical technical challenge: thorium itself cannot undergo fission directly. How can it be used to generate energy? By bombarding thorium nuclei with neutrons, they can be transformed into uranium-233, which is highly fissile—a process akin to "turning stone into gold" in the nuclear energy field. Moreover, China's thorium reserves are substantial, ensuring energy security with "resources at home." Economically, most of China's thorium deposits are by-products of rare earth mining, effectively "receiving thorium as a bonus while extracting rare earths." This not only significantly reduces the cost of acquiring nuclear fuel but also enhances the value of rare earth mining, achieving two goals at once.

Beyond the revolutionary breakthrough in fuel sourcing, the thorium-based molten salt reactor also brings surprises in safety and site flexibility. Traditional nuclear power plants are notorious "water guzzlers," with a million-kilowatt conventional reactor requiring thousands of tons of cooling water per hour to dissipate the immense heat generated by the reactor core—much like boiling dumplings at home, where insufficient water risks burning them. If a nuclear plant "runs out of water," the core could overheat and risk a meltdown.

In contrast, the thorium-based molten salt reactor operates like a desert explorer with its own "provisions," fundamentally overturning this "life-support system." The high-temperature molten salt it employs remains stable in liquid form at 600-700°C, serving as an ideal "heat transporter." During operation, it requires no external water supply, relying solely on the natural circulation of molten salt in a closed loop to continuously remove heat from the core, eliminating safety hazards caused by cooling failures.

Thanks to this "thirst-free" cooling system, the thorium-based molten salt reactor breaks free from the siting constraints of traditional nuclear power, opening doors to broader applications. Unlike conventional plants that must "reside by the sea," it can be confidently built in the deserts of Minqin, Gansu. This breakthrough means nuclear power is no longer limited to coastal regions but can extend deep into China's vast inland areas, leveraging the country's rich thorium resources to provide clean, stable energy and illuminate countless homes in the future.