It's Happening - China Launches World's First Thorium Nuclear Reactor

Summary

This script delves into the potential of thorium as a safer, more abundant alternative to uranium in nuclear energy. Highlighting China's pioneering thorium molten salt reactor, set to be operational by 2029, the video explores the technology's benefits, including reduced radioactive waste and easier control to prevent meltdowns. It also discusses global efforts in thorium research and the challenges of adopting this technology, amidst China's ambitious strides towards carbon neutrality and energy dominance.

Takeaways

• 🚨 Uranium is often associated with catastrophic potential due to its use in nuclear weapons and the risks of radioactive waste and meltdowns.
• 🔍 Thorium is presented as a safer alternative to uranium, being more abundant, producing less radioactive waste, and being harder to weaponize.
• 🌟 China has announced the commissioning of the world's first thorium molten salt reactor, aiming to be operational by 2029, with enough thorium reserves to last for thousands of years.
• 🔧 Molten salt reactors use a molten salt mixture as a coolant or fuel, offering higher safety due to the high boiling point of the salts, reducing the risk of meltdowns.
• 🔄 The continuous circulation of fuel and coolant in molten salt reactors allows for the addition of new fuel and removal of waste without shutting down the reactor.
• ♨️ Thorium's fertile nature allows it to be bred into fissile material within the reactor, offering a self-sustaining process and efficient fuel use.
• 💡 The reduced neutron absorption of thorium results in fewer long-lived radioactive byproducts, with thorium waste being less radioactive and having a shorter half-life compared to uranium.
• 🏛️ Historical research into thorium molten salt reactors dates back to post-WWII, with significant advancements made by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the US.
• 🌐 China is leading the development of thorium reactor technology, with plans to commercialize it as part of their Belt and Road initiative, aiming for global energy leadership.
• 🌿 Other countries and companies, such as TerraPower in the US and initiatives in Europe, are also exploring molten salt reactors, though with different timelines and reactor designs.
• 🚀 The development of thorium molten salt reactors is part of a broader push towards sustainable energy and achieving carbon neutrality, with challenges including material corrosion and regulatory development.

Q & A

What is the main concern associated with uranium in the context of nuclear energy?

Uranium is associated with catastrophic potential, including long-lived radioactive waste, risk of meltdowns like Fukushima, Three Mile Island, and Chernobyl, and its use in the production of atomic bombs.

Why is thorium considered a safer alternative to uranium in nuclear reactors?

Thorium is considered safer because it is more abundant, produces significantly less radioactive waste, has a more controllable reaction to prevent meltdowns, and is much harder to weaponize into nuclear weapons.

What are the two 'world's firsts' that China has announced regarding thorium molten salt reactors?

China has announced the commissioning of the world's first thorium reactor and the first commercial molten salt reactor, scheduled to be online by 2029.

How does the molten salt reactor design differ from traditional nuclear reactors?

A molten salt reactor uses a molten salt mixture as the primary coolant or even the fuel itself, which allows for higher boiling points, reducing the need for high-pressure piping and enhancing safety.

What is the significance of the thorium fuel cycle in a breeder reactor?

The thorium fuel cycle in a breeder reactor is significant because it can convert thorium into fissile material like uranium-233, which can sustain the fission reaction and produce energy more efficiently.

How does the use of thorium in a molten salt reactor contribute to safety?

Thorium in a molten salt reactor contributes to safety by reducing the chances of meltdowns due to its inherent properties and the design of the reactor, which allows for continuous circulation and easier management of the reaction.

What is the role of the freeze plug fail-safe in a molten salt reactor?

The freeze plug fail-safe in a molten salt reactor is a safety feature that prevents the molten salts from escaping in the event of a power failure by freezing and allowing the liquid salt to drain into subcritical tanks, stopping the reaction.

Why is thorium considered a better fuel for nuclear reactors compared to uranium?

Thorium is considered a better fuel because it is more abundant, can be bred into fissile material within the reactor, produces less radioactive waste, and has a self-regulating nature that contributes to safety.

What are the challenges faced by the development of thorium molten salt reactors?

Challenges include the corrosive nature of molten salts, which poses material challenges, and the lack of established regulatory frameworks and safe operation protocols for commercial reactors.

What is the vision behind China's investment in thorium molten salt reactors?

China's investment in thorium molten salt reactors is part of a larger vision for energy, aiming for carbon neutrality by 2060 and positioning itself as a global superpower for power creation, potentially selling modular reactors as part of its Belt and Road Initiative.

Outlines

00:00

🔋 Introduction to Thorium and Molten Salt Reactors

The video script begins by discussing uranium's controversial nature due to its potential for catastrophic incidents and its role in creating nuclear weapons. It introduces thorium as a safer alternative, highlighting its abundance, reduced radioactive waste, controllable reactions, and difficulty in weaponization. The script then shifts focus to China's announcement of the world's first thorium molten salt reactor, set to be operational by 2029, emphasizing China's significant thorium reserves. The explanation of how a molten salt reactor works is provided, detailing the circulation of fuel coolant mixture, fission process, and heat transfer to generate electricity. The advantages of molten salt reactors, such as higher boiling points of molten salts, reduced risk of meltdowns, and continuous fuel addition without reactor shutdown, are also discussed.

05:00

🔬 The Science Behind Molten Salt Reactors

This paragraph delves deeper into the science of molten salt reactors, explaining the role of coolants in removing excess heat and the risks associated with water as a coolant, exemplified by the Chernobyl disaster. It contrasts this with molten salts, which have a high boiling point and reduce the need for high-pressure systems, thereby decreasing the likelihood of catastrophic failures. The paragraph also discusses the continuous circulation of the fuel coolant mixture, allowing for the addition of new fuel and the removal of byproducts, enhancing safety and efficiency. The concept of a 'freeze plug' fail-safe is introduced as a means to prevent reactor meltdowns by halting the reaction in case of power failure. The discussion concludes with the benefits of thorium as a nuclear fuel, including its natural abundance and the process of breeding thorium into fissile material through neutron absorption and beta decay.

10:02

🌏 Thorium as a Nuclear Fuel and Global Research

The script continues by exploring thorium's characteristics as a nuclear fuel, emphasizing its fertility and the process of converting thorium-232 into fissile uranium-233 through neutron absorption and decay. It outlines the advantages of this conversion process, particularly when thorium is used in molten salt reactors, allowing for continuous breeding and fission reactions. The historical context of thorium and molten salt reactor research is provided, dating back to post-World War II efforts and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's experiments. The narrative then shifts to current global research, with India and Russia showing interest in thorium, but China emerging as a leader in thorium reactor technology, driven by its vast reserves and significant investments in research and development.

15:04

🏭 China's Leadership in Thorium Reactor Technology

This section focuses on China's advancements in thorium reactor technology, detailing the construction and operation of the TMSR-LF1 experimental reactor and plans for larger, power-generating reactors. The script outlines China's vision for integrating thorium power with other renewable energy sources into a smart grid, aiming for low-cost, low-carbon, and stable electricity for industrial production. It also discusses China's broader energy strategy, including plans for commercial modular thorium reactors and the country's ambition to become a global leader in power creation through the Belt and Road Initiative. The paragraph concludes by comparing China's progress with initiatives in the US, UK, and Europe, which are also exploring alternative nuclear energy technologies, albeit at a slower pace.

20:04

🌐 Global Energy Transition and the Future of Thorium Power

The final paragraph contemplates the implications of China's progress in thorium power for the global energy transition. It raises the question of whether other countries should follow suit and invest in alternative energy sources, considering the challenges and opportunities presented by this technology. The script acknowledges the ambitious timelines set by China for the deployment of thorium reactors and the need for other nations to assess their own strategies in light of these developments. The discussion concludes with a call for viewers to share their thoughts on the potential impact of thorium power on the world's energy landscape and the importance of continued research and development in this field.

Keywords

💡Uranium

Uranium is a naturally occurring radioactive element that is primarily used as a fuel in nuclear power plants due to its ability to sustain a chain reaction of nuclear fission. In the video, uranium is discussed as a material that has the potential for catastrophic consequences, such as long-lived radioactive waste and meltdowns, and also as a key component in the production of atomic bombs.

💡Thorium

Thorium is a radioactive element that, like uranium, can be used as a nuclear fuel. It is highlighted in the video as a potentially safer alternative to uranium due to its abundance, lower production of radioactive waste, and the ease of controlling its reaction to prevent meltdowns. The script emphasizes thorium's potential in the context of the world's first thorium molten salt reactor commissioned by China.

💡Molten Salt Reactor

A molten salt reactor is a type of nuclear reactor that uses a molten salt mixture as a coolant or even as fuel. The video explains that these reactors are theoretically safer than traditional reactors because they operate at high temperatures, reducing the need for high-pressure coolant systems and allowing for continuous refueling and waste removal. The script discusses the commissioning of the world's first commercial molten salt reactor in China.

💡Nuclear Fission

Nuclear fission is the process by which the nucleus of an atom splits into smaller parts, releasing a large amount of energy. The video describes how fission occurs in a nuclear reactor when unstable heavy elements are struck by neutrons, resulting in lighter elements and additional neutrons that can sustain the reaction or heat the coolant.

💡Radioactive Waste

Radioactive waste refers to the byproducts of nuclear reactions that remain radioactive and can pose a hazard if not managed properly. The script contrasts the amount of radioactive waste produced by thorium reactors with that of uranium reactors, noting that thorium produces significantly less waste and with shorter half-lives.

💡Breeder Reactor

A breeder reactor is a type of nuclear reactor that can produce more fissile material than it consumes, effectively 'breeding' new fuel. The video mentions an experimental molten salt reactor that aimed to demonstrate a nuclear power plant using a thorium fuel cycle in a breeder reactor setup.

💡Neutron Flux

Neutron flux is the rate of neutrons passing through a given area and is a key factor in sustaining a nuclear chain reaction. The video explains that the density of fast neutrons in the reactor core is what drives the fission reaction, and that this flux is not sufficient outside the reactor to sustain the reaction, which is a safety feature in the design of molten salt reactors.

💡Thorium Molten Salt Reactor

A thorium molten salt reactor is a specific type of molten salt reactor that uses thorium as its primary fuel. The video discusses the advantages of this reactor type, including its safety features, efficiency, and the reduced amount of long-lived radioactive waste it produces.

💡Nuclear Energy

Nuclear energy is the energy released during nuclear reactions, such as fission or fusion, and is used to generate electricity in nuclear power plants. The video's main theme revolves around the development of safer and more efficient nuclear energy technologies, particularly focusing on thorium molten salt reactors as a promising alternative to traditional uranium-based reactors.

💡Smart Grid

A smart grid is an electrical grid that uses digital technology to monitor and manage the transport of electricity from all generation sources to meet the varying demands of consumers. The video mentions the integration of various energy sources, including a thorium power plant, into a smart grid to provide stable and sufficient electricity for industrial production.

💡Carbon Neutrality

Carbon neutrality refers to achieving a state where the net carbon dioxide emissions are balanced by an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide removal, effectively having no net impact on the atmosphere's greenhouse gas levels. The video discusses China's goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060 and its investment in alternative energy sources, including thorium reactors, as part of this strategy.

Highlights

Uranium's potential for catastrophic events and its association with nuclear weapons creates unease, while thorium is presented as a safer alternative.

Thorium is more abundant in the Earth's crust, produces less radioactive waste, and is harder to weaponize compared to uranium.

China has announced the commissioning of the world's first thorium molten salt reactor, scheduled to be online by 2029.

Molten salt reactors use a molten salt mixture as a coolant or fuel, offering a history of experimental but no commercial designs.

Molten salt reactors are theoretically safer due to their high boiling point, reducing the need for high-pressure systems.

The continuous circulation of fuel and coolant in molten salt reactors allows for easier refueling and waste removal.

Thorium's fertile nature allows it to be bred into fissile material within a reactor, offering an efficient fuel cycle.

Thorium produces fewer long-lived radioactive byproducts, with waste typically remaining radioactive for about 500 years.

Research into thorium molten salt reactors dates back to the end of World War II, with projects led by Alvin Weinberg.

China's investment in thorium salt reactor research began in 2011, with significant progress and construction of experimental reactors.

The TMSR-LF1, an experimental thorium salt reactor in China, was completed in 2021 and granted an operation license in 2023.

China's plans for commercial modular thorium-based reactors aim to generate 100 megawatts or more of electricity.

China's advancement in thorium reactor technology is part of a larger vision for energy and carbon neutrality by 2060.

International initiatives, such as the Natrium reactor in the US and the partnership between France and the Netherlands, are also exploring molten salt reactors.

Challenges remain in the development of molten salt reactors, including material corrosion and the lack of established regulatory frameworks.

Despite ambitious timelines, the progress in thorium molten salt reactors represents a significant step towards sustainable and safe nuclear energy.

The global shift towards alternative energy sources is evident, with China leading in solar energy production and now investing in thorium reactors.

Transcripts

uranium a material that strikes unease

into our collective subconscious for the

catastrophic potential that it can

unlock from long-lived radioactive waste

to react to meltdowns like Fukushima

thar Island and Chernobyl to the

enrichment to produce the most

devastating weapon Humanity has ever

devised the atomic bomb around uranium

and nuclear in general there exists an

aura of the taboo but what if there was

a safer alternative that we just haven't

really explored yet thorium has long

fascinated the Internet it's three to

four times more common in the Earth's

crust it produces significantly less

radioactive waste its reaction is easier

to control to prevent meltdowns and it's

much harder to turn into nuclear weapons

all these points considered explains the

number of comments that I've had on past

videos asking when I'll cover it but I

like to cover Technologies in active

development and I've never found any

groups putting forward a series effort

to tackle the thorium challenge that has

now changed China has just announced the

commissioning of the world's first

thorium molten salt reactor that's

actually two world's firsts the first

thorium reactor and the first commercial

Molton salt reactor scheduled to be

online by

2029 and China has enough thorium

reserves to power their country's needs

for the next 20,000 years I want to take

a look at how these Technologies

actually work and what they will potenti

potentially unlock for us and ask

ourselves is this the future of nuclear

let's start with the easy stuff though

how to build a nuclear reactor you know

that nonfunctioning nuclear reactor you

built yes I Juiced it up a little a

molten salt reactor is a type of nuclear

reactor where the primary coolant or

even the fuel itself is a molten salt

mixture typically molten fluoride or

chloride salt there's a good history of

experimental designs but no able

commercial designs have been realized

yet in the mid 20th century there were

two experimental molten salt reactors

operated in the United States the

aircraft reactor experiment which was

motivated by the small form factor that

molten salt reactors can achieve and the

slightly uncreative named molten salt

reactor experiment which aimed to

demonstrate a nuclear power plant using

a thorium fuel cycle in a breeder

reactor the general design principle of

molten salt reactors is centered around

a reactor core through which which the

fuel coolant mixture is circulated in

the reactor fision occurs the breaking

apart of unstable heavy elements as they

are struck by fast moving neutrons this

produces lighter elements as well as

further fast moving neutrons which are

the Heats we talk about when we say

nuclear reactors produce usable energy

these fast neutrons either collide with

further file elements in the reactor to

sustain the fision reaction or they

strike salt particles and increase the

temperature of the molten salt as a

whole which is continuously circulated

through the system as this now even

hotter fluid leaves the reactor it moves

out into heat exchanges to transfer the

heat to a secondary fuel Loop which

usually drives a steam turbine because

secretly everything still runs on Steam

turbines and we never left the

1800s the reason molten salt reactors

are so attractive to well mostly the

internet is because they are in theory

much more ele an in their safety but why

exactly is that most nuclear reactors

use water as a coolant the job of a

coolant is to get rid of excess heat

energy the downside to water is that it

has a boiling point of 100° C meaning

that to keep it in liquid form you need

to keep it in very high pressure piping

if there is a failure in this system not

only does your coolant escape and you

can now no longer cool down your reactor

but that superheated liquid water now

turns almost most instantaneously and

explosively into a hot gas damaging

other systems this is partly what

happened during the Chernobyl disaster

by comparison though molten salts have a

high boiling point often above, 1400° C

this removes the need to keep the

coolant in high pressure piping and so

reduces the chances of failures and

explosions it also means that if there

is a leak in the system both the coolant

and the fuel exit the reactor further

reducing the lik hood of a meltdown as

the fuel and the coolant are intermixed

and circulated this also reduces the

likelihood of hot spots in the reactor

design that could lead to structural

damage or failure continuous circulation

also means that new fuel can be added to

the mix without requiring a full

shutdown of the reactor for refueling

which is a costly and slow process for

solid fuel reactors by consequence this

also means that any negative fision

products can continuously be removed

unlike in traditional re reactors where

fision products like Xenon 135 can build

up over time absorbing neutrons and

causing reactor instability and if

you're asking here now why does fion

only occur in the reactor and not

outside it when the fision fuel is

located throughout the system that's

largely a question of the density of

those fast neutrons that drive the

reactor there's significantly more

reaction driving neutrons in the Reactor

Core than in the rest of the system

because there is more reactive material

there in the remainder of the system the

neutron flux just isn't sufficient to

sustain an ongoing fision reaction so it

subsides outside of the reactor this is

a good thing in the event of a leak as

although your fuel leaks out with your

coolant it doesn't present the same

level of explosive danger as say a gas

or a fossil fuel leak in fact most

liquid salt reactors have a simple

freeze plug fail safe below the reactor

that is kept cold preventing the molten

salts Escape in the instance of a power

failure the plug UNF freezes and the

liquid salt empties into subcritical

drain tanks where the reaction stops as

you can imagine this sort of feature is

much harder to achieve in solid core

reactors that use normal uranium fuel

rods there you need to constantly

circulate additional coolant until the

reaction dies down which if you're very

unlucky might take hundreds to thousands

of years so now in molten salt reactors

we have a really compelling potential

reactor design why though is Thorium so

often thought of as the best fuel for

the job I want to answer that question

but first I have to thank the most

relevant sponsor I have ever had on this

channel Radia code yes we actually have

a Gea counter sponsor on a video about

nuclear reactors we have nailed it radio

code is the maker of the world's first

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post-apocalyptic scenarios or with that

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cool about the radio code 103 which is

the one that I picked up is that it's

not just a counter but also Al a gamma

ray spectrometer meaning that you can

identify different radioactive isotopes

it even has a mode that syncs to your

location so that you can track radiation

levels while you're moving around saving

the values on Google Maps for ultimately

a safer traversal of the

post-apocalyptic wastelands all of these

features can also be viewed on the

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device I literally went around my entire

house testing everything you could even

do a first pass test for Ron in your

home by collecting dust and measuring

the radiation levels then of course

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luckily nothing that I found should

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just yet this though is an awesome

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product is check it out now back to the

video let's make the case for thorium

thorium is one of 15 heavy metallic

elements in the bottom part of the

periodic table just two spaces to the

left from uranium holding it in your

hand it's a soft and silvery metal that

gradually darkens as it oxidizes in the

air it was first discovered by Swedish

chemist yon baselius whose name I've

probably butchered back in

1828 he named it after the Norse god of

thunder or I guess one of your favorite

Avengers he's a friend from work its

radioactivity though wasn't discovered

for another six years until Marie cury

began to study it it was found that in

nature thorium typically exists in only

its most stable isotopic form thorium

232 it is technically unstable but it

decays incredibly slowly with a halflife

of more than 14 billion years basically

the same age as the universe you can

actually find it in small amounts pretty

much everywhere which is one of the

advantages it has over uranium estimates

indicate that thorium is 3 to four times

more abundant than uranium on Earth the

vast majority is harvested from a

mineral called monzonite which contains

a high percentage of thorium phosphate

created as a byproduct from mining other

rare earth metals but the question is if

it decays very slowly why does it make

for such a good nuclear fuel although

thorium 323 isn't very file meaning it's

not directly usable to Power Nuclear

fision it is very fertile meaning it can

be bred into a file material here

uranium here's how that works first

thorium 232 is bombarded until it

absorbs a neutron producing thorium 233

this then undergo beta Decay converting

a neutron into a proton and changing it

into another element Pro actinium 233

there it undergoes beta Decay again

converting another proton into a neutron

and producing uranium 233 uranium 233 is

file and can be used as fuel in a

nuclear reactor in fact it's even

slightly better than other commonly used

nuclear reactive fuels like uranium 235

and plutonium 239 because it absorbs

fewer neutrons allowing it to produce on

average slightly more than the two

neutrons per split and now although this

entire process sounds complicated and

like it adds extra steps it's actually a

real Advantage this breeding process can

be done outside of the reactor but I

think it's more interesting when thorium

is dissolved within the molten salt mix

and this breeding reaction occurs

continuously while the reactor operates

to do this thorium 232 is combined with

a molten salt and a small amount of

uranium 233 is added to supply the

initial Neutron flux and start the

breeding and reaction process which then

self- sustains overall what that gives

you is a very efficient fuel that

combines the safety layer of unreactive

thorium with the quick and safe storage

of molten salt reactor designs as an

added bonus to thorium its Neutron

absorption characteristics means that it

produces produces fewer actinides the

bottom 15 elements of the periodic table

which are typically very radiotoxic and

have very long Half Lives the general

rule of thumb that I found whilst

researching was that most people's

opinion on thorium is that its nuclear

waste only stays radioactive for about

500 years that's instead of the 10,000

years for uranium and there is about a,

to 10,000 times less radioactive

byproducts produced using thorium so it

becomes reasonably clear that thorium

molten salt reactors have have some

definitive advantages over conventional

reactors so the question remains where

on Earth are they this is where the

thorium reactor story gets kind of

strange Research into how to build these

systems actually stretches back all the

way to the end of World War II and

continued well into the early '70s

starting as a project to make compact

nuclear flight propulsion systems molten

salt reactor research was led by Alvin

Weinberg director of The Oak Ridge

National lab over 20 years Weinberg and

his team researched built and operated

the first molten salt reactors motivated

by a dream of building a fision powered

desalination plant as part of the Atoms

for Peace program this program

unfortunately didn't make it past the70s

as the US chose to go in the direction

of Cheaper less technically challenging

uranium reactors instead which also had

the benefit of producing plutonium

stockpiles today the Oak Ridge molten

salt reactor experiment is viewed as the

Holy Grail of thorium molten salt

reactor research and many modern

projects are taking inspiration from it

countries like India which have large

amounts of thorium but very little

uranium aim to produce 30% of their

energy from thorium by 2050 Russia also

seems interested announcing that it has

developed some thorium based nuclear

fuels today though it is China that is

leading the world in thorium reactor

technology this is somewhat predicated

on the fact that China has massive

thorium reserves the exact size of those

reserves has not been publicly disclosed

but it's estimated to be enough to meet

the country's total energy needs for

more than 20,000 years they've also made

significant investments into the

research of these systems as early as

2011 when they invested 450 million into

thorium salt reactor research program

inspired by the design of the Oakridge

laboratory reactor China began

construction of the tmsr lf1 in 2018 an

experimental thorium salt reactor which

was completed in 2021 and interestingly

it's kind of in the middle of nowhere

around 120 km Northwest of the city of

WOAY in the gansan province in the

middle of the GOI desert another huge

advantage of thorium salt reactors is

that they can be placed in the middle of

sparsely populated deserts like this

because again they don't need water

cooling another perk being that if it's

in the middle of nowhere and it does

explode fewer people care the reactor

was granted a license to begin operation

back in 2023

initially operating in batch mode using

a closed system for the first five to

eight years before then moving into

continuous operation where Fuel and

waste can be continuously topped up or

removed in my books this one still

counts as a largely experimental

research activity and can only produce

about 2 megawatt of thermal power and

doesn't generate electricity at all but

according to recent reports the success

of this pilot project provided the basis

and experience for construction of

larger reactors cap AP able of power

generation China is Now quickly

expanding their scope and ambition for

this technology in fact it was only

inadvertently announced that this new

thorium reactor project was on the table

disclosed as part of a construction plan

within an environmental assessment

report posted on the Shanghai Institute

of Applied Physics this reactor facility

is scheduled to be commissioned in 2025

and completed and operational in 20129

generating Heat at a maximum of 60 megaw

according to the report the reactor

still be used for research purposes

primarily serving scientists however a

wind power base a solar power base

station a molten salt-based energy

storage Power Station a hydrogen

generation system and a thermal power

plant will all also be constructed at

the same time as the thorium power plant

these different types of energy will all

be integrated into a smart grid to

provide low cost low carbon stable and

sufficient electricity for industrial

production so it does kind of sound like

this really is the star of usable

thorium power in a commercial setting if

only for industrial applications at

first starting from 2030 though the

report goes on to say that there are

further plans for commercial modular

thorium based reactors with an

electrical generation capacity of 100

megaw or more all of this advancement

and activity is part of a much larger

vision for energy in China working

towards carbon neutrality in 2060 but

also working towards a major commercial

advantage over other countries

ultimately China plans to sell modular

thorum reactors as part of their belt

and Road initiative positioning

themselves as the global superpower for

power creation as part of a global

development strategy aimed to connect

trade networks from China to other parts

of Asia Africa Europe and Beyond it's

basically a vast and technologically

advanced version of the Silk Road the

question many companies and countries

are asking themselves is if China is

making such rapid progress with

alternative energy sources should we be

doing the same the US the UK Europe and

elsewhere turns out we aren't completely

in the dark here in the US we have terra

power founded by Bill Gates which has

been collaborating with the Oak Ridge

National Laboratory to restart

development of sustainable nuclear

energy Technologies the company is

moving ahead with building a new natrium

reactor in Wyoming this is not yet

another fuel source the reactor will use

uranium but will incorporate a new type

of molten salt system us using sodium

hence the name the technology has been

around for a while but they are

revisiting it to take advantage of a new

energy storage design this time they're

planning to store the heat from the

sodium molten salt into a chloride

molten salt heat Bank this thermal

energy can then be used to make

electricity when required allowing the

nuclear power generation to ramp up and

down with the power grid demands this

plant is interesting it's designed to

produce an impressive 345 megaw and if

everything goes well should be in

operation by 2030 in Europe initiatives

like the nuclear abundant affordable

resourceful energy for all or Nar or

France and the rizon of the Netherlands

have signed a strategic industrial

agreement to advance molten salt

reactors especially modular ones this

partnership is pretty interesting as

naria is combining its expertise in

small modular nuclear reactors with

theon's knowledge of thorium and molten

salt reactors the name of conventions

are terrible but we'll forgive them for

that what kind of plans do they actually

have so far naria is planning to develop

an extra small molten salt reactor

generating roughly 40 megawatt of energy

which they're hoping will be ready for

mass production by 2030 the rizon is

going in the other direction with a 100

megawatt thorium molon assault Reactor

with a pilot system ready by 2035 which

is probably a lot more reasonable in

terms of timeline here I'm always

slightly aware of the maybe over

optimistic timelines that many of the

small modular reactor companies out

there have made and the price points

that they have tried to hit but

ultimately have slipped over time we

need to follow these initiatives to see

how things pan out these are certainly

promising opportunities but overall the

rate and the energy put into exploring

these opportunities doesn't feel to me

to be sufficient for any of these

projects to become world leaders in

their field although there are obviously

still major challenges to overcome in

this technology from the fact that

molten Sals are highly corrosive which

poses a challenge for materials and

reactor components that must withstand

these harsh conditions to the fact that

regulatory framework and safe operation

protocols for commercial reactors just

haven't actually been developed yet

overall when I hear these timelines

coming out from China of 2029 for the on

time of their first reactors I think

that feels kind of ambitious but I do

think it is better to be ambitious in

this Arena rather than playing catchup

China does have a history now of

investing heavily in alternative energy

sources the reason solar is so cheap

across the world as of nowadays is

largely because of European subsidies

and China's initiative to drive mass

production by mid 2024 the total

installed soil capacity in China was

approximately 700 gaw with 100 gaw of

new capacity added in just the first

half of 2024 alone there is clearly a

commercial and strategic drive to

achieve these technological Feats as

quickly as possible particularly in the

context of the changing energy landscape

but I want to know what you think I

really like looking deeper into this

topic than I have before and there was a

whole bunch of other pieces to the

puzzle that I didn't quite have time to

cover is this a win for the world's

power transition let me know what you

think in the comments section down below

and if you like this sort of video leave

us a like check out our patreon if you

want to support the channel I also

recently shared some thoughts on another

technology giant the world's largest

Fusion project and the funding problems

and delays faced by it and asked should

we keep pushing forward on Fusion check

that out and thanks as always for

watching I'll see you next week goodbye