Chinese scientists successfully refueled a molten salt thorium reactor without
shutting it down — something never done before. This reactor, located in a
secret facility in the Gobi Desert, generates 2 megawatts of electricity, enough
to power 2,000 homes.

It’s based on a design first tested in the US in the 1960s but later shelved.
China used that declassified research and built on it for decades.

Thorium, the reactor’s fuel, is safer and more abundant than uranium. Unlike
standard reactors, molten salt reactors can’t melt down in an accident — if
there's a failure, the fuel cools and solidifies rather than overheating, less
waste and can even use waste from older reactors as fuel.

The reactors work by heating a liquid fuel mix above 600°C, triggering a fission
process that creates energy. Though the US dropped the idea due to technical
issues like corrosion, China appears to have overcome those by sticking with
the project over time.

The lead scientist behind the project, Xu Hongjie, said consistent effort and
long-term focus helped them succeed where others stopped.

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