China has made a breakthrough in thorium-based nuclear fuel conversion technology.

According to the article published in the "Print Newspaper" on November 8, China has become the first country in the world to convert thorium into usable nuclear fuel and put it into operation. Although India has a large thorium reserve, it lags behind, and Indian experts have suggested adjusting the nuclear program to catch up with technological trends. On November 1, the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, announced that the 2 MW liquid-fuel thorium-based molten salt experimental reactor (TMSR-LF1) built in Minqin, Gansu, successfully completed the world's first thorium-uranium nuclear fuel conversion. This news caused a stir in the Indian media, with many voices stating that "India should have made this breakthrough earlier." According to the report, China has an estimated total thorium resource of about 1.3 to 1.4 million tons, while India's thorium reserves are 1.07 million tons, mainly distributed in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh. The development of India's nuclear energy follows the "three-stage nuclear program" formulated by Indian scientist Homi J. Bhabha in the 1950s. So far, India has built about 20 pressurized heavy water reactors (PHWR), plans to commission the first prototype fast breeder reactor (PFBR) by 2026, and is currently conducting trials on the advanced heavy water reactor (AHWR). However, progress in utilizing thorium has been slow. In response to China's technological breakthrough, Indian experts suggest moving away from the heavy water reactor path, trying various new reactor designs, and advancing the "direct use of thorium" path in parallel with the "three-stage nuclear program". An official from India's Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) emphasized that India's nuclear program is "unique, with its own pace and challenges," and that "India must learn from its neighbors, but cannot base its progress on other countries' achievements."

Original source: www.toutiao.com/article/1848408831137796/

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