Pakistan, April 18 -- China has activated the world's only operational thorium molten salt reactor, marking a significant milestone for clean nuclear energy. This groundbreaking achievement took place in the Gobi Desert, where Chinese scientists successfully reloaded fuel into the reactor without stopping its operation. The activation was disclosed during a closed-door meeting at the Chinese Academy of Sciences on April 8.

The 2-megawatt experimental unit is designed to run on thorium, using molten salt as both a coolant and fuel carrier. Project chief scientist Xu Hongjie announced that the reactor reached full-power operation in June 2024 and completed successful fuel reloading four months later. "We now lead the global frontier," Xu s...