TMSR-LF1

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TMSR-LF1
GenerationIV
Reactor conceptMSR
Fertile materialThorium
StatusActive
LocationChina
Maps
TMSR-LF1 is located in China
TMSR-LF1
TMSR-LF1 (trefoil) in Gansu province (red).
TMSR-LF1 (trefoil) within Minqin county (orange) is roughly 120 km (75 miles) north of the city of Wuwei (circled star)
Coordinates38°57′37″N 102°36′44″E / 38.9602°N 102.6122°E / 38.9602; 102.6122
Main parameters of the reactor core
Fuel (fissile material)HALEU
Fuel stateLiquid
Neutron energy spectrumThermal
Primary control methodRods
Primary moderatorGraphite
Primary coolantFLiBe
Reactor usage
Primary usePrototyping
Power (thermal)2 MW
Criticality (date)11 Oct 2023
Operator/ownerSINAP

TMSR-LF1 (Chinese: 液态燃料钍基熔盐实验堆 lit.: "liquid fuel thorium-based molten salt experimental reactor") is a 2 MWt molten salt reactor (MSR) prototype operating in northwest China.[1][2][3][4][location note]

The project is a collaboration of "nearly 100 domestic research institutions, universities and industrial companies", "dedicated to molten salt reactors and thorium-uranium fuel cycle studies".[5]

History

TMSR-LF1 site timelapse (2018-2025) from Sentinel-2 satellite imagery

The "LF" (liquid fuel) design is directly based on the 1960s Molten-Salt Reactor Experiment.[6] The site selected for the TMSR-LF1 is part of an industrial park[7] for the chemical and energy sectors, in a sparsely populated, arid region.[location note] Site construction began in 2018.[8] At the groundbreaking, a Taoist ceremony was held; after images of it went viral in China (an atheist state), CAS disciplined staff members, and issued a public apology.[9]

A reactor construction permit was issued by the Chinese National Nuclear Safety Administration in January 2020.[10] Unforeseen delays were caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in China.[11] Installation of equipment was finished in 2022.[5] Over 90 percent of the reactor's components are domestically produced, with 100 percent localization of key parts and a fully independent supply chain.[12]

Testing followed;[13][14] in August 2022, the Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment informed SINAP that its commissioning plan for the LF1 had been approved.[8] A ten-year operating license was issued in June 2023.[15][16] For the first 5–8 years, it is to be run in batch mode, before converting to continuous mode.[8]

Criticality was first achieved on 11 October 2023.[17][18][19] On 17 June 2024, full power (2MWt) operation was achieved.[19] In September, it received a license to load thorium into the molten salt, the initial loading of which happened the following month,[5] and on 8 October, it operated at full power for 10 days with thorium in the molten salt; Protactinium-233 was detected, indicating successful nuclear breeding.[19][20][21]

Specifications

LF1 building 3D model and floor plan published for seismic analysis; below-ground area (pink) holds the reactor.

The TMSR-LF1 is a Generation IV reactor constructed with the following specifications:[22][23][24]

  • Thermal power: 2 MW
  • Fuel salt: FLiBe (>99.95% Li-7) with fluorides of zirconium, uranium (HALEU: 19.75% U-235), and thorium
    • inlet temperature: 630 °C
    • outlet temperature: 650 °C
    • volume: 1.68 m3
    • flow rate: ~50 kg/s
  • Coolant salt: FLiBe
    • inlet temperature: 560 °C
    • outlet temperature: 580 °C
    • flow rate: ~42 kg/s
  • Cover gas: Argon (0.05 MPa)
    • volume: 1.6 m3
  • Moderator: nuclear graphite
  • Structural Material: UNS N10003 superalloy
  • Lifetime: 10 years
    • equivalent full power days: 300
    • maximum full power days per year: 60

The reactor is located underground, seated at the bottom of a 14m (46 foot) deep dry well, which is capped at ground level, and above which rises a 20m (66 foot) tall roofed atrium.[25]

References

  1. http://finance.eastmoney.com/news/1350,20180329850624284.html Archived 8 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine 实验平台及配套项目拟选址于武威市民勤县红砂岗工业集聚区，南侧紧邻纬七路、东侧紧邻东环路。
  2. Tennenbaum, Jonathan (4 February 2020). "Molten salt and traveling wave nuclear reactors". Asia Times. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  3. Liu, Yafen; Yan, Rui; Zou, Yang; Yu, Shihe; Zhou, Bo; Kang, Xuzhong; Hu, Jifeng; Cai, Xiangzhou (2020). "Sensitivity/Uncertainty comparison and similarity analysis between TMSR-LF1 and MSR models". Progress in Nuclear Energy. 122 103289. doi:10.1016/j.pnucene.2020.103289.
  4. "The off-line installation and start-up of the thorium-based molten salt experimental reactor body and the first cooling salt discharge". SINAP (in Chinese (China)). 23 December 2020. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  5. Wu Wanzhen, and Li Menghan (1 November 2025). "China achieves 1st thorium-to-uranium fuel conversion in molten salt reactor". China Daily. Part 4. Retrieved 6 November 2025.
  6. Richard Martin (2 August 2016). "Fail-Safe Nuclear Power". MIT Technology Review. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  7. "民勤红沙岗工业园区". Website of Wuwei, Gansu. 15 April 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2022. 民勤红沙岗工业园区位于民勤县红砂岗镇 ["Minqin Hongshagang Industrial Park is located in Hongshagang Town, Minqin County"...] 低碳新能源产业区：位于规划区东部，以第四代反应堆核能系统—钍基熔盐堆核能系统（TMSR）项目为基础，拓展高温制氢、布雷顿循环发电和二氧化碳资源利用，建成模块化钍基熔盐示范堆、大规模低碳新能源示范系统等，形成以模块化钍基熔盐堆为核心的低碳高效复合能源系统研发、示范与产业化基地。["Low-carbon new energy industrial zone: located in the east of the planning area, based on the fourth-generation reactor nuclear energy system-thorium-based molten salt reactor nuclear energy system (TMSR) project, to expand high-temperature hydrogen production, Brayton cycle power generation and carbon dioxide resource utilization, and build modules. A thorium-based molten salt demonstration reactor, a large-scale low-carbon new energy demonstration system, etc., have formed a low-carbon and high-efficiency composite energy system R&D, demonstration and industrialization base with a modular thorium-based molten salt reactor as the core."]
  8. "Chinese molten-salt reactor cleared for start up". World Nuclear News. World Nuclear Association. 9 August 2022. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  9. "2 nuclear scientists suspended for failing to stop Taoist ritual". China Daily. 2 May 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  10. "2020 Annual Report" (PDF). National Nuclear Safety Administration (China). Retrieved 2 March 2025. The 2029 NNSA annual report states that "On January 13, 2020, the Construction Permit for the 2MWt TMSR-LF was issued."
  11. Ritsuo Yoshioka (2024). John Kutsch, and Thomas James Dolan (ed.). Global Progress on Molten Salt Reactors, Second Edition. Woodhead Publishing. p. 12. ISBN 9780323991292. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
  12. Wu Wanzhen, and Li Menghan (1 November 2025). "China achieves 1st thorium-to-uranium fuel conversion in molten salt reactor". China Daily. Part 5. Retrieved 6 November 2025.
  13. Stephen Chen (19 July 2021). "Could China's molten salt nuclear reactor be a clean, safe source of power?". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  14. Mallapaty, Smriti (2021). "China prepares to test thorium-fuelled nuclear reactor". Nature. 597 (7876): 311–312. doi:10.1038/d41586-021-02459-w. PMID 34504330.
  15. "China's experimental molten salt reactor receives licence". Nuclear Engineering International. 20 June 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  16. "关于颁发2MWt液态燃料钍基熔盐实验堆运行许可证的通知". Ministry of Ecology and Environment (China). 7 June 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  17. Chen, Stephen (26 July 2024). "China sets launch date for world's first thorium molten salt nuclear power station". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 29 July 2024. [TMSR-LF1] achieved criticality, or sustainable, chain nuclear reaction in October.
  18. "2023 Annual Report on Nuclear Safety" (PDF). National Nuclear Safety Administration (China). Retrieved 2 March 2025. The 2023 NNSA annual report states that TMSR-LF1 was "in operation", had "achieved its first criticality at 11:08 AM on October 11", and SINAP had reactor operator licenses for 15 people, of whom 8 were classified as "senior operators".
  19. Krepel, Jiri (22 January 2025). "Overview and Update of MSR Activities within GIF". Generation IV International Forum. pp. 71–72. Retrieved 27 February 2025. At 11:08 on October 11, 2023, TMSR-LF1 achieved first criticality. At 12:10 on June 17, 2024, 2MWt full power operation was achieved. On October 8, 2024, TMSR-LF1 operated at full power for 10 days with thorium fuel, and Pa-233 was detected
  20. Wu Wanzhen, and Li Menghan (1 November 2025). "China achieves 1st thorium-to-uranium fuel conversion in molten salt reactor". China Daily. Part 1. Retrieved 6 November 2025.
  21. "Chinese molten salt reactor achieves conversion of thorium-uranium fuel". World Nuclear Association. 4 November 2025. Retrieved 4 November 2025.
  22. Hongjie Xu. Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics (SINAP), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) (27 September 2018). "Progress of TMSR in China" (PDF). Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  23. Yang Zou. SINAP, CAS (4–5 July 2019). "Research Progress of TMSR design" (PDF). Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  24. Chen, Chang-Qi; Xia, Xiao-Bin; Zhang, Zhi-Hong; Cai, Jun; Li, Chang-Yuan (2019). "Radiological environmental impact analysis of a 2-MW thorium molten salt reactor during an accident". Nuclear Science and Techniques. 30 (5): 78. Bibcode:2019NuScT..30...78C. doi:10.1007/s41365-019-0605-3. ISSN 1001-8042. S2CID 145927937.
  25. Rencong Dai, Wei Gong, Xiao Wang, Xiaoyan Wang, Decheng Cui (31 January 2024). "Conservativeness Study on the Seismic Analysis Method for Research Reactor Plant Structure Based on TMSR-LF1". Advances in Civil Engineering. 2024 (1) 1672269. Hindawi. doi:10.1155/2024/1672269.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) (Licensed CC BY 4.0)

Location Notes

See also "Maps" section of the lede's infobox. The most recently published official site plan map is Figure 2.1-2 in

^LF1 Location: the LF1 reactor is sited within an industrial park located in Hongshagang (town), Minqin (county), Wuwei (prefecture), Gansu (province), China. The area is a semi-desert just south of the Badain Jaran section of the Gobi. As per official documentation, the TMSR-LF1 site is located at 38°57'31" N, 102°36'55" E. However, due to the China GPS shift problem, the reactor location using Western GPS coordinates is approximately 38°57′37″N 102°36′44″E / 38.9602°N 102.6122°E / 38.9602; 102.6122 (about a third of a kilometer offset).