China has made a groundbreaking discovery, uncovering an ‘endless’ energy source that could power the country for 60,000 years. The Bayan Obo mining complex in Inner Mongolia is believed to contain enough thorium to supply China’s household energy demands ‘almost forever’. This slightly radioactive element can be used to create molten-salt reactors, providing enormous quantities of energy.
Thorium is 500 times more abundant than uranium and can generate 200 times more energy. Researchers claim that using thorium could revolutionize the energy industry, producing less toxic waste and being more easily reprocessed. China has already approved construction of the world’s first thorium molten-salt reactors plant in the Gobi Desert. The plant is expected to generate 10 megawatts of electricity and help China achieve ‘energy independence’ by 2029.
