Here the KUN-24AP container ship would be a massive departure with its molten salt reactor. Despite this seemingly odd choice, there are a number of reasons for this, including the inherent safety of an MSR, the ability to refuel continuously without shutting down the reactor, and a high burn-up rate, which means very little waste to be filtered out of the molten salt fuel. The roots for the ship’s reactor would appear to be found in China’s TMSR-LF program, with the TMSR-LF1 reactor having received its operating permit earlier in 2023. This is a fast neutron breeder, meaning that it can breed U-233 from thorium (Th-232) via neutron capture, allowing it to primarily run on much cheaper thorium rather than uranium fuel.

An additional benefit is the fuel and waste from such reactors is useless for nuclear weapons.

Another article with interviews: https://gcaptain.com/nuclear-powered-24000-teu-containership-china/

  • Redderthanmisty@lemmygrad.ml
    ·
    11 months ago

    This is a fast neutron breeder, meaning that it can breed U-233 from thorium (Th-232) via neutron capture, allowing it to primarily run on much cheaper thorium rather than uranium fuel.

    Australia isn't looking so happy.

    • HexBroke
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      edit-2
      5 months ago

      deleted by creator

      • invo_rt [he/him]
        ·
        11 months ago

        [China] aims to build an industrial prototype fusion reactor by 2035 and have the technology in large-scale commercial use by 2050.

        xi-lib-tears

          • HexBroke
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            edit-2
            5 months ago

            deleted by creator

          • invo_rt [he/him]
            ·
            11 months ago

            Dunno. I also don't know if they were containing plasma in the 50s.

          • Abracadaniel [he/him]
            ·
            11 months ago

            They're much more right than they were in the 1950s.

            There are multiple reactors right now, utilizing different design approaches, which can fuse and contain plasma. The work right now is on increasing the net-energy and reaction time

      • kristina [she/her]
        ·
        11 months ago

        China has a lot of mining operations and therefore a ton of thorium just laying about.

        • HexBroke
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          edit-2
          5 months ago

          deleted by creator