China is starting the operation of its 2 megawatt molten salt prototype reactor in 2024. They are progressively scaling up to 10 MW reactors, 100 MW and then a 168 MWe modular reactor around 2030.
Molten Salt nuclear fission reactors can deliver 99% of the promised benefits from nuclear fusion but we already have made operational megawatt nuclear reactors. Nuclear fusion has had over $30 billion in funding ($22+ billion for ITER and traditional programs and $7B for new nuclear fusion startups). Nuclear fusion has not produced any usable power or plant wide net power. Molten salt nuclear fission power had 2.5 megawatts of net power generation from a US nuclear prototype back in the 1960s.
Molten Salt Nuclear Reactor Benefits
Molten salt reactors can produce one thousand times lower volume of radioactive waste versus existing nuclear reactors because of deep burn. They provide a more complete conversion of the nuclear fuel. The unburned uranium and plutonium can be used and what is left would be products with half-lives of 100 years or less.
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