Thorium’s Promise: How China’s Abundant “Waste” Metal Could Power Its Future and Reshape Global Energy
By Denis Koshelev
China holds the world’s largest reserves of thorium — a little-known, radioactive metal that recent surveys suggest could completely reshape the country’s energy future for thousands of years. A national survey, previously classified and finalized in 2020, found that China’s thorium reserves are far more substantial than earlier believed, possibly enough to power the nation for 60,000 years. [1] The timing of this discovery is critical: China is pushing forward with bold modernization goals under its 14th Five-Year Plan, placing a strong emphasis on sustainable growth and innovation.
So, why does this matter? These thorium deposits — often found in the remnants of old mining operations — could offer an unexpected answer to long-term energy security. And not just for China. If viable, thorium could help the world move away from fossil fuels. But here’s the big question: Is thorium really as clean and green as it sounds?
Thorium in Mining Waste: From Tailings to Treasure
Though China’s thorium reserves have long been known, the sheer scale of them has only recently come to light. That same national survey, made public in 2020, found that reserves might exceed past estimates by a wide margin. A total of 233 thorium-rich regions were identified across the country, clustered in five major belts, stretching from landlocked Xinjiang to the coastal province of Guangdong. [1] As a Beijing-based geologist put it bluntly in one report: “For more than a hundred years, countries have waged wars over fossil fuels. It appears that the infinite source of energy is situated right beneath us.” [2]
What makes this even more remarkable is where the thorium is coming from. It’s not in some newly discovered ore — it’s in mining tailings, the so-called waste that was long dismissed as useless. Take the Bayan Obo deposit, for example. Already famous as the world’s largest reserve of rare earth elements (REEs) — holding about 35% of global REE supply — it has also generated mountains of mining waste over decades. [3] And that waste? Turns out it’s packed with thorium, along with rare earths, niobium, and iron. [4]
In fact, studies show that just five years of waste from one iron mine in Inner Mongolia might hold enough thorium to meet U.S. household energy needs for over 1,000 years. The lead researcher of the national thorium survey, a senior engineer at the National Center of Uranium Resource Exploration and Mining in Beijing, summed it up clearly: “The thorium resources in tailings remain completely untapped.” [2] This flips the script — what used to be considered worthless might now be one of China’s most strategic assets.
Thorium’s Advantages as a Nuclear Fuel
Thorium possesses several characteristics that make it potentially superior to uranium as a nuclear fuel source. For one, this silvery radioactive metal has the potential to produce 200 times more energy. [2] This extraordinary energy density means even relatively small amounts of thorium could generate significant power output. Unlike conventional uranium-based nuclear power, thorium-based systems offer distinct safety and operational advantages.
Thorium molten salt reactors (TMSRs) represent a promising technology for harnessing thorium’s energy potential. These reactors are smaller than conventional nuclear plants, do not require water cooling, are incapable of catastrophic failures (like meltdowns), and generate minimal long-lived radioactive waste. These characteristics address many of the concerns that have limited public acceptance of nuclear power in recent decades. [2] In fact, MSRs are often described as having a “meltdown-proof” design [8] due to the use of liquid fuel dissolved in molten salt, which operates at atmospheric pressure. In the event of overheating or a critical failure, the liquid fuel can be safely drained into an emergency tank where it cools and solidifies, effectively preventing a runaway chain reaction and a meltdown. [9]
Another significant advantage is the reduction in both the volume and the hazardousness of nuclear waste. Thorium reactors produce significantly less long-lived radioactive waste compared to uranium-based reactors. Thorium is also 3–4 times more abundant than uranium, offering a sustainable fuel supply.
The inherent safety features of thorium-based nuclear power could significantly reduce both the risk perception and actual hazards associated with nuclear energy. This could prove crucial for accelerating the replacement of fossil fuels with zero-carbon alternatives, particularly in a country like China that continues to rely heavily on coal for electricity generation.
China has positioned itself at the forefront of thorium reactor technology by approving the establishment of the world’s first commercial-scale TMSR power facility. This pioneering facility is being constructed in the Gobi Desert and is expected to produce 10 megawatts of electricity when it becomes operational, which is anticipated by 2029. State media reports have announced that Chinese scientists have already made a significant milestone in clean energy technology by successfully adding fresh fuel to an operational thorium molten salt reactor. [13] This project represents a significant step in moving thorium power from theoretical possibility to practical implementation.
The Potential is Vast, But Ecologists are not Entirely Convinced
Despite the immense potential of thorium as an energy source, significant technical challenges must be overcome to make thorium-based energy economically viable. Extracting thorium from rare earth minerals demands substantial amounts of acid and energy, resulting in the production of alarming amounts of wastewater — by some estimates, maybe even hundreds of tonnes for every gram of refined thorium. This environmental footprint could offset some of the sustainability benefits that thorium offers as a clean energy source. [2]
Researchers are actively exploring more efficient extraction methods. Studies on the recovery of thorium from Bayan Obo tailings have investigated processes such as carbochlorination, which has demonstrated promising results. One study showed that through carbochlorination between 823K-873K for 2 hours, 76-93% of rare earths could be recovered from the tailings, along with 72% of thorium. Other research has focused on combinations of techniques like microwave-assisted carbothermal reduction and acid leaching to improve recovery rates. [4]
Despite the significant promise of thorium energy, several challenges and considerations must be addressed. Technical hurdles remain in the development and deployment of thorium reactors, particularly concerning material corrosion caused by the radioactive molten salt at high operating temperatures. [7] The complexity of designing and operating safe and efficient MSR systems also presents engineering challenges.
Additionally, thorium itself is not fissile and requires an initial fissile material, such as uranium-235 or plutonium-239, to initiate the nuclear reaction, posing a supply challenge. [6] China aims to meet its uranium needs through a three-pronged approach: one-third from domestic production, one-third from Chinese-owned overseas mines, and one-third from the open market. [15] In recent years, China has developed significant capabilities in uranium enrichment fuel fabrication, and is investing in reprocessing technologies to recycle spent fuel, further reducing reliance on imported fissile material. [16] China is also developing fast breeder reactors, which can generate more fissile plutonium from non-fissile uranium-238, potentially easing the supply challenge for both plutonium and uranium-235. These reactors are supported by long-standing cooperation with Russia, including uranium supply agreements. [17]
Can Canada Catch Up?
Globally, countries are approaching thorium energy in very different ways. For Canada, which has its own thorium reserves and a strong nuclear sector, China’s rapid progress poses a big question: Are we falling behind?
So far, no commercial thorium reactors have been built in Canada. Most of the government’s focus — and investment — remains on uranium-based nuclear power, like modernizing CANDU reactors and developing small modular reactors (SMRs) for deployment in various provinces. [10]
Some Canadian firms, like Thorium Energy Ventures, claim they’re ready to build, but their designs haven’t moved beyond the demonstration phase. [11]
Policy also plays a role. British Columbia, for example, still has a moratorium on thorium and uranium exploration, which makes it difficult to even assess the full potential of domestic thorium. Industry voices argue it’s time to revisit those restrictions, especially since Canada is already a global uranium powerhouse. [12]
As China surges ahead, its progress in thorium energy sends a clear message: this overlooked element could be key to the next energy revolution. For Canada, the path forward will depend on how we balance innovation, policy, and investment, because the thorium age may be closer than we think.
References
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Research of Bayan Obo tailings characteristics and recovery methods Wenrou Su, Xiaolin Tan, School of Materials in Metallurgy, Inner Mongolia University of Science & Technology, Baotou, Inner Mongolia, 14010, China
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Recovery of Rare Earths, Niobium, and Thorium from the Tailings of Giant Bayan Obo Ore in China. Xiuxiu Yu, L. Bai, Qing-Chun Wang, Jia Liu, M. Chi, Zhi-chang Wang
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Enhancing Safety with Thorium as a Fuel for Sustainable Nuclear Power by Udaiy Rao. Department of Energy Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
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https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/current-and-future-generation/thorium
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https://www.311institute.com/china-adds-the-finishing-touches-to-the-worlds-first-thorium-reactor/
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https://energy-oil-gas.com/news/can-chinas-meltdown-proof-reactor-lead-the-global-clean-energy-race/
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https://www.biv.com/news/resources-agriculture/end-the-moratorium-on-thorium-sbot-10204059
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https://blog.ucs.org/sulgiye-park/is-russia-helping-china-expand-its-nuclear-weapons-program/