China has got a huge treasure, electricity tension will end for 60000 years, India has the biggest reserves

China has got such a huge treasure that can meet its energy needs forever. A national survey of China has revealed China’s immense reserves of thorium. The South China Morning Post quoted an expert as saying in its report that this radioactive metal alone can revolutionize global energy production, ending the world’s dependence on fossil fuels. China already has large thorium reserves. However, according to the classified report of a survey conducted in 2020, it may actually be many times more than previous estimates.

India has the largest reserves

According to a report published in the Chinese journal Geological Review in January, only five years of mining waste from an iron ore site in Inner Mongolia contains so much thorium that it can meet the domestic energy demands of the US for more than 1000 years. The special thing is that India also has huge reserves of thorium. According to reports, India’s thorium reserves are currently the largest in the world. India’s Department of Atomic Energy has planned to use the country’s vast reserves of thorium as a long-term alternative.

According to some experts’ estimates, the Bayan Obo mining complex can produce one million tonnes of thorium when fully exploited, enough to fuel China for 60,000 years. “It turns out that endless energy sources are right under our feet,” a Beijing-based geologist told the South China Morning Post on condition of anonymity.

What is thorium?

Thorium is a silver-coloured metal named after the old Scandinavian god Thor. It produces 200 times more energy than uranium. Unlike uranium reactors, thorium molten-salt reactors (TMSR) are smaller. They cannot melt and do not require water cooling. They also release less amount of radioactive waste.

Last year, China approved the construction of the world’s first TMSR power plant in the Gobi desert. This pilot project with a capacity to generate 10 MW of electricity is expected to start by 2029.

The path is not easy yet

According to the survey, 233 thorium-rich areas have been identified across China, located in five major belts. However, despite the hope, obstacles remain. Huge amounts of acid and energy are required to separate thorium from rare earth ores. About hundreds of tons of wastewater are needed to purify 1 gram of thorium.