China Discovers Limitless Energy Source Enough Power The Country For 60,000 Years

China is at it again, according to a declassified government geological survey, China has reportedly found a vast thorium deposit that could supply enough energy to run the nation for 60,000 years.  

The discovery was made at the Bayan Obo mining complex in Inner Mongolia, an autonomous region in northern China, where scientists estimate the site could yield one million tonnes of thorium if fully exploited. The survey, which identified 233 thorium-rich zones across the country, suggests that thorium resources in China’s mining waste remain untouched and could be extracted to reduce global dependence on fossil fuels.

By Gamuchirai Mapako

According to researchers, there is enough thorium in five years’ worth of mining debris from the Bayan Obo iron ore mine to supply the United States’ energy needs for more than a millennium.

Thorium is a naturally occurring, slightly radioactive element that has long been considered a potential alternative to uranium in nuclear reactors. Although thorium is not immediately fissile like uranium, it can be transformed into uranium-233, a substance that can support nuclear fission.

In a molten-salt reactor (MSR), thorium is mixed with lithium fluoride and heated to 1,400°C (2,550°F), where it undergoes neutron bombardment to initiate a chain reaction. Compared to traditional uranium reactors, this approach is more effective, generates a lot less radioactive waste, and lowers the possibility of nuclear meltdowns.

China has begun building the world’s first thorium molten-salt reactor (TMSR) power plant in the Gobi Desert and has been making significant investments in thorium-based nuclear technologies.

According to the World Nuclear Association, thorium can generate 200 times more energy than uranium, making it a promising alternative for the future of nuclear power. However, experts warn that commercial development of thorium-based reactors and cost-effective extraction are still challenging.

The finding coincides with China’s ambitions to increase its nuclear energy expenditure by another 24 nuclear power facilities by 2030. The potential of thorium as an energy source is still being investigated by researchers as Beijing moves on with its thorium reactor program. Speaking anonymously, a geologist from Beijing pointed out that thorium is widely accessible and that its widespread application might support long-term energy stability.

The facility is expected to generate 10 megawatts of electricity and is projected to be operational by 2029.