China Develops Thorium Molten Salt Reactor-Powered Container Ship

China thorium-powered boxship (Image: Splash247)

China has announced plans to develop a 14,000 TEU container vessel powered by a Thorium-based Molten Salt Reactor (MSR), marking a major milestone in the application of nuclear energy for commercial shipping.

The project is jointly undertaken by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) and the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC). According to the preliminary design prepared by the Shanghai Merchant Ship Design & Research Institute (SDARI), the vessel will operate entirely on a closed MSR system using thorium fuel - eliminating the need for conventional marine fuels. The reactor system is expected to generate several hundred megawatts of thermal energy to power the ship’s propulsion systems.

Sources from the project revealed that the design phase is expected to be completed by 2026, with vessel construction potentially commencing later this decade at one of CSSC’s shipyards. If realized, this would become the world’s first container ship powered by a thorium molten salt reactor - a technology that Chinese nuclear engineers consider to be safer, more efficient, and more scalable than traditional uranium-based reactors.

Chinese authorities have already approved the project’s preliminary safety assessments. However, significant international regulatory challenges remain, as the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has yet to finalize a dedicated regulatory framework for the operation of commercial nuclear-powered vessels.

Earlier, Jiangnan Shipyard, a state-owned enterprise under CSSC, showcased a 24,000 TEU vessel design integrated with molten salt reactor technology at the Marintec China exhibition two years ago. The event, which will return next month, is expected to attract considerable industry attention amid renewed momentum toward nuclear-powered maritime energy solutions.

In support of these advancements, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) announced on November 1 that it had successfully achieved the conversion of thorium into uranium within a 2 MW thermal molten salt reactor using liquid fuel. This is currently the only molten salt reactor in the world to have officially introduced thorium fuel into operation - demonstrating the technical feasibility of utilizing thorium resources in molten salt nuclear systems, a core technology platform for the future of high-energy, zero-emission ocean shipping.

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Source: Phaata.com (According to Splash247)

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