China has created a powerful and safe thorium reactor for heavy ships.
In China, a thorium-based reactor has been developed for use on heavy vessels. This was reported by the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
The new reactor will operate on thorium—a more abundant and safer material than uranium. In this regard, it does not require the creation of complex cooling systems. SCMP journalists described such a reactor as innovative and unique. The article notes that its successful implementation could lead to a revolution in commercial shipping.
The thorium reactor will generate 50 megawatts of energy. This is comparable to the power of the S6W reactor, which is installed on modern U.S. Navy Seawolf-class nuclear submarines. Due to its power and efficiency, heavy vessels based on the thorium reactor can operate for years without refueling.
The vessel being developed in China can carry 14,000 shipping containers. The design phase of the vessel with a thorium reactor is expected to be completed by 2026.
