A major discovery has been made in China, revealing a supposedly 'limitless' supply of energy that could reportedly power the entire country for the next 60,000 years alone.
China has become one of the leading global innovators in energy production, pioneering development with projects such as the 'Solar Great Wall', artificial sun, and space power station.
All of these boast the capability to eventually sustain China's growing energy demands, especially in a push towards greener solutions. The country aims to be coal-free by 2035, and these all could play a key part in achieving the extraordinary feat.
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However, one recent discovery could trump all previous efforts though, as a study has revealed that up to 1,000,000 tons of thorium have been foundin the Bayan Obo mining complex of Inner Mongolia, as reported by the Daily Mail.
While it's not as valuable as other key material deposits that have been found in recent years, with estimates indicating that the overall value of the entire deposit is 'just' $178,000,000,000, it's value is far greater as an energy resource, especially in this quantity.
It's currently being boasted as an alternative to dominant fossil fuels due to it's use within nuclear fission, and could provide a key route for China to dominate the global push towards nuclear energy.
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Thorium isn't a fissile, unlike uranium-232, but can be transmuted into the latter material when blasted with neutrons, making it extremely viable as a means of fuel.
On top of this, the decaying process after transmutation creates further neutrons, which are then 'recycled' into further thorium to produce more fuel. This is exactly why experts predict that it could power the country for the next 60,000 years, to the point where it's almost deemed 'limitless'.
In addition, it has been indicated that thorium is a far safer source of nuclear energy compared to uranium-235, as waste from the former becomes safe after 'hundreds' of years, as opposed to the 'thousands' of years that uranium produces, as per LabXChange.
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Rare earth mining efforts have been criticized in relation to thorium though, as studies have revealed that the material produced atmospheric pollution with a high radioactive risk for anyone living in the surrounding areas.
Although the Bayan Obo mining complex is the primary source of this particular discovery, it's indicated that there are around 233 thorium-rich areas across the whole of China, and these in total far exceed previous estimates when it comes to thorium capacity.
Speaking to the South China Morning Post, one unnamed Beijing-based geologist remarked: "For over a century, nations have been engaging in wars over fossil fuels. It turns out the endless energy source lies right under our feet."
It remains yet to be seen whether thorium can actually produce the 'energy utopia' that is currently being touted, especially as it has to be extracted following discovery, but it could fundamentally revolutionize energy and fuel production worldwide.