The Chinese experimental Thorium Molten Salt Test Reactor TMSR-LF1 at the Honshagang Industrial Cluster in Wuwei City, Gang Su province in China has received permission on June 7 2023 to start its test operations. The National Nuclear Security Administration NNSA reviewed the technical documents and considered that safety requirements were sufficiently met.

The project for a 2 MW test reactor was started in 2018 and is ahead of schedule. By 2030 an extensive demonstration facility with a 370 MWt reactor  is foreseen and commercial operation could start from 2040 onwards.

The TMSR-LF1 will use fuel enriched to under 20% U-235, have a thorium inventory of about 50 kg and a conversion ratio of about 0.1. A fertile blanket of lithium-beryllium fluoride (FLiBe) with 99.95% Li-7 will be used, and fuel as UF4.

See also World Nuclear News June 2023.