Will the first nuclear-powered cargo ship be born? China has solved the nuclear reactor problem, now Europe and the US are uneasy.

Recently, a report about China's upcoming launch of the world's first large cargo ship powered by a thorium molten salt reactor has caused a stir in the international shipping and energy circles.

According to the South China Morning Post, this cargo ship is designed to carry as many as 14,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), using China's independently developed fourth-generation nuclear technology - Thorium Molten Salt Reactor (TMSR) as the main power source. If the project is finally implemented, it will become the first truly commercial nuclear-powered cargo ship in human history.

The 2-megawatt liquid fuel thorium molten salt experimental reactor (TMSR-LF1) located at the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Wuwei, Gansu, has successfully achieved its first criticality and completed the verification of the thorium-uranium fuel cycle. This is the world's only operating liquid fuel molten salt reactor, marking that China has taken the lead in the development of fourth-generation nuclear energy systems worldwide.

Why would a nuclear-powered cargo ship make Europe and the US "uneasy"?

Over 90% of global trade relies on maritime transport, and large container ships usually use heavy oil or low-sulfur fuel, resulting in significant carbon emissions. Once nuclear-powered ships mature, they can theoretically achieve "zero-carbon navigation" because the nuclear reaction process itself does not produce carbon dioxide.

From technological accumulation to engineering transformation, China's layout in the field of thorium nuclear energy has been ongoing for over a decade. The TMSR special project was launched in 2011, the experimental reactor construction was completed in 2021, the critical operation was achieved in 2023, and the design plan for the cargo ship was announced in 2025 - this timeline clearly indicates that this is not a concept hype, but a step-by-step strategic advancement.

Original article: www.toutiao.com/article/1848119055693827/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.