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China's Thorium Molten Salt Reactor is Operational

Ian Prado · 2025-06-26T00:27:34.042196+00:00

"China built and has brought to full power the world's first-ever thorium-containing molten salt reactor, the TMSR-LF1. Initial criticality occurred on Oct 11, 2023. Full power on June 17, 2024. Pa-233 from thorium was detected Oct 8, 2024. It's the first MSR to run since the US shut down its MSRE in 1969, which ran on enriched U-235 and then later on thorium-derived U-233. Commercial-scale thorium-fueled reactors have run in the past, (Indian Point 1, Shippingport, THTR), but this is the first MSR to do so.(I had heard rumors that it ran already but haven't seen it confirmed until now)", Nick Touran, Ph.D, P.E. LinkedIn Post src: Gen IV International Form slide: TMSR-LF1 achieved full power operation of 2MWt