中国在核能领域的突破将真正改变世界
正文翻译
As the world is spellbound by the zigzagging tariff war drama launched by reality TV star Donnie Trump and people marvel at the sheer destructiveness of a stupid mad man, a truly momentous event just happened in China.
当全世界被真人秀明星唐尼·特朗普发起的曲折关税战戏剧所吸引，并惊叹于这个愚蠢疯子的纯粹破坏力时，中国刚刚发生了一件真正重大的事件。
In early April, Chinese scientists achieved a milestone in clean energy technology by successfully adding fresh fuel to an operational thorium molten salt reactor, the first of its kind in the world. The breakthrough signals the arrival of commercially viable thorium nuclear reactor in China’s future energy mix.
四月初，中国科学家在清洁能源技术领域取得里程碑式成就，成功为全球首座运行中的钍基熔盐堆添加新燃料。这一突破标志着商业可行的钍核反应堆即将进入中国未来的能源结构。
Thorium is much safer and more abundant alternative to uranium for nuclear power as it is widely available, cheaper to extract, has higher energy density, and produces far less long-lasting nuclear waste.
钍是比铀更安全、更丰富的核能替代品，因为它分布广泛、开采成本更低、能量密度更高，且产生的长期核废料少得多。
It is far safer than uranium as it is not fissile on its own so cannot be weaponized. Nuclear industry experts see thorium as the holy grail for future energy revolution next to nuclear fusion, which I’ll touch on briefly at the end.
它比铀安全得多，因为钍本身不可裂变，无法被武器化。核工业专家将钍视为仅次于核聚变的未来能源革命“圣杯”——我将在文末简要提及后者。
Thorium is found in abundant quantity in earth’s crust all over the world. One single mine in China’s Inner Mongolia, the Bayan Obo mine, has enough thorium deposits to theoretically meet China’s energy needs for the next 20,000 years, while producing minimal radioactive waste.
钍在地壳中储量丰富。仅中国内蒙古的白云鄂博矿，其钍储量理论上就能满足中国未来2万年的能源需求，同时产生的放射性废料极少。
The most promising technological direction is to use thorium in molten salt reactors. While multiple nations are developing the technology, China is the first to build an experimental thorium molten salt reactor.
最具前景的技术方向是将钍用于熔盐反应堆。尽管多国在研发该技术，但中国率先建成了实验性钍基熔盐堆。
The latest breakthrough to add fresh fuel to an operational reactor indicates such technology is ready for sustained commercial deployment.
此次为运行中的反应堆添加新燃料的突破，表明该技术已具备持续商业部署的条件。
It marks the first long-term, stable operation of the technology, putting China at the forefront of a global race to harness thorium for nuclear power.
这标志着该技术首次实现长期稳定运行，使中国在钍核能开发的全球竞赛中处于领先地位。
The experimental reactor, located in the Gobi Desert in China’s west, uses molten salt as the fuel carrier and coolant, and thorium as the fuel source. The reactor is designed to sustainably generate 2 megawatts of thermal power.
这座位于中国西部戈壁的实验反应堆以熔盐为燃料载体和冷却剂，钍为燃料来源，设计可持续产生2兆瓦热能。
The development was announced by the project’s chief scientist, Xu Hongjie, at the Chinese Academy of Sciences on April 8. Xu said China “now leads the global frontier for thorium nuclear technology”.
4月8日，项目首席科学家徐洪杰在中国科学院宣布了这一进展。他表示中国“现已引领钍核技术的全球前沿”。
China’s thorium molten salt reactor project began with theoretical research in the 1970s, and in 2009 the CAS leadership tasked Xu with making the next-generation nuclear energy technology a reality.
中国的钍基熔盐堆项目始于1970年代的理论研究，2009年中科院领导层委派徐洪杰将这项下一代核能技术变为现实。
The project team expanded from dozens of members to more than 400 researchers within two years.
项目团队研究人员在两年内从几十人扩展到400多名。
“We learned by doing, and did by learning,” Xu said. The challenges were immense – designing new materials, troubleshooting for extreme temperatures, and dealing with engineering components that had never been built before.
“我们在做中学，在学中做。”徐洪杰说。挑战是巨大的——设计新材料、解决极端温度下的故障，以及处理从未制造过的工程部件。
After construction of the experimental reactor started in 2018, most of the scientists involved in the project gave up their holidays – they worked day and night, and some stayed on site for more than 300 days in a year. The Gobi Desert is thousands of kilometres away from the major coastal cities.
2018年实验堆开建后，多数参与项目的科学家放弃了休假——他们日夜工作，有些人一年在现场驻留超过300天。戈壁沙漠距离沿海大城市数千公里。
By October 2023 it was built and achieved criticality – a sustained nuclear chain reaction. And by June 2024 it had reached full-power operation.
2023年10月，反应堆建成并实现临界——即持续核链式反应。至2024年6月，它已达到满功率运行。
Earlier this year the process of thorium fuel reloading was completed while the reactor was running – making it the only operational thorium reactor in the world.
今年早些时候，反应堆在运行期间完成了钍燃料补充流程——使其成为全球唯一运行的钍反应堆。
“We chose the hardest path, but the right one,” Xu was quoted as saying, referring to the drive for a real-world application rather than a purely academic pursuit.
“我们选择了最艰难的路，但也是正确的路。”徐洪杰如此说道，意指这项技术以实际应用为目标，而非纯学术追求。
A much bigger thorium molten salt reactor is already being built in China and is slated to achieve criticality by 2030. That research reactor is designed to produce 10 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 10,000 homes for a year.
中国已在建设一座更大的钍基熔盐堆，计划2030年实现临界。该研究堆设计发电功率10兆瓦，足以满足1万户家庭一年的用电需求。
China’s state-owned shipbuilding industry has also unveiled a design for thorium powered container ship that could potentially achieve emission-free maritime transport.
中国国有造船业还公布了一款钍动力集装箱船的设计，有望实现零排放海运。
Meanwhile, US efforts to develop a molten salt reactor remain on paper, despite bipartisan congressional support and Department of Energy initiatives.
与此同时，尽管美国国会两党和能源部支持熔盐堆研发，但其进展仍停留在纸面。
Xu said, “in the nuclear game, there are no quick wins. You need to have strategic stamina, focusing on doing just one thing for 20, 30 years.”
徐洪杰表示：“在核能领域，没有速胜。你需要战略定力，专注于一件事20年、30年。”
In addition to thorium reactors, China is on the leading edge of developing nuclear fusion technology (as opposed to current fission technology) that could lead to carbon-free, almost limitless, and clean energy. Fusion is the way sun powers itself and generates 4 times the amount of energy as fission.
除钍反应堆外，中国在核聚变技术（与当前裂变技术相对）开发上也处于前沿。聚变能实现零碳、近乎无限且清洁的能源，其原理与太阳产能相同，能量产出是裂变的4倍。
At the heart of this fusion revolution lies the tokamak, a donut-shaped device designed to contain superheated plasma using powerful magnetic fields. By mimicking the sun’s conditions—where hydrogen atoms fuse into helium—tokamaks enable the release of tremendous amounts of energy.
这场聚变革命的核心是托卡马克装置——一种利用强磁场约束超高温等离子体的环形设备。通过模拟太阳中氢原子聚变为氦的条件，托卡马克能释放巨大能量。
China is at the leading edge in global nuclear fusion development. Most recently, China achieved several key milestones in fusion research, including –
中国在全球核聚变发展中处于领先地位。最近，中国在聚变研究中取得多项关键里程碑，包括：
– Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), dubbed as “artificial sun” in China, has set new record in January 2025. The project is based Hefei and run by the China Academy of Sciences (CAS), the world’s leading scientific research institute.
- 2025年1月，被称为中国“人造太阳”的全超导托卡马克实验装置（EAST）创下新纪录。该项目位于合肥，由全球领先科研机构中国科学院运营。
EAST maintained a high-confinement plasma for 1,066 seconds, surpassing previous world record of 403 seconds – a crucial step towards sustained fusion reactions necessary for practical energy generation.
EAST将高约束等离子体维持了1,066秒，超越此前403秒的世界纪录——这是实现实用化聚变能源所需持续反应的关键一步。
– HL-2M Tokamak, located in Chengdu, is China’s largest and most advanced tokamak. It has achieved first plasma discharge and high plasma parameters, capable of producing plasma temperatures exceeding 200 million degrees Celsius and plasma currents over 2.5 million amperes, essential for efficient fusion reactions.
- 位于成都的HL-2M是中国最大、最先进的托卡马克装置。它已实现首次等离子体放电和高参数运行，可产生超过2亿摄氏度的等离子体温度和250万安培的等离子体电流，这对高效聚变反应至关重要。
– HH70 Tokamak, developed by Shanghai-based private company Energy Singularity, stands out for integrating high temperature superconducting magnets made from REBCO (rare earth barium copper oxide). This cutting edge technology dramatically reduces the size and cost of conventional tokamaks, paving the way for more accessible and commercial fusion energy.
- 上海民营企业能量奇点研发的HH70托卡马克，因采用稀土钡铜氧化物（REBCO）高温超导磁体而脱颖而出。这项尖端技术大幅缩小了传统托卡马克的体积与成本，为更易普及的商业化聚变能源铺路。
Energy Singularity plans to construct a next-gen tokamak by 2027 and a full scale technological demonstrator for fusion nuclear reaction by 2030.
能量奇点计划2027年建成下一代托卡马克，2030年完成聚变核反应全尺寸技术示范堆。
Although commercial viability remains the final frontier, breakthroughs like EAST and HH70 showcase the significant strides towards turning nuclear fusion into a practical energy solution.
尽管商业化仍是最终难关，但EAST和HH70等突破展现了核聚变迈向实用能源的重大进展。
All the noises around tariffs and trade wars aside, technology is ultimately the path to human development and prosperity. Let’s keep our eyes on the ball.
抛开关税与贸易战的喧嚣，技术终将是人类发展与繁荣之路。让我们紧盯真正的目标。
As the world is spellbound by the zigzagging tariff war drama launched by reality TV star Donnie Trump and people marvel at the sheer destructiveness of a stupid mad man, a truly momentous event just happened in China.
当全世界被真人秀明星唐尼·特朗普发起的曲折关税战戏剧所吸引，并惊叹于这个愚蠢疯子的纯粹破坏力时，中国刚刚发生了一件真正重大的事件。
In early April, Chinese scientists achieved a milestone in clean energy technology by successfully adding fresh fuel to an operational thorium molten salt reactor, the first of its kind in the world. The breakthrough signals the arrival of commercially viable thorium nuclear reactor in China’s future energy mix.
四月初，中国科学家在清洁能源技术领域取得里程碑式成就，成功为全球首座运行中的钍基熔盐堆添加新燃料。这一突破标志着商业可行的钍核反应堆即将进入中国未来的能源结构。
Thorium is much safer and more abundant alternative to uranium for nuclear power as it is widely available, cheaper to extract, has higher energy density, and produces far less long-lasting nuclear waste.
钍是比铀更安全、更丰富的核能替代品，因为它分布广泛、开采成本更低、能量密度更高，且产生的长期核废料少得多。
It is far safer than uranium as it is not fissile on its own so cannot be weaponized. Nuclear industry experts see thorium as the holy grail for future energy revolution next to nuclear fusion, which I’ll touch on briefly at the end.
它比铀安全得多，因为钍本身不可裂变，无法被武器化。核工业专家将钍视为仅次于核聚变的未来能源革命“圣杯”——我将在文末简要提及后者。
Thorium is found in abundant quantity in earth’s crust all over the world. One single mine in China’s Inner Mongolia, the Bayan Obo mine, has enough thorium deposits to theoretically meet China’s energy needs for the next 20,000 years, while producing minimal radioactive waste.
钍在地壳中储量丰富。仅中国内蒙古的白云鄂博矿，其钍储量理论上就能满足中国未来2万年的能源需求，同时产生的放射性废料极少。
The most promising technological direction is to use thorium in molten salt reactors. While multiple nations are developing the technology, China is the first to build an experimental thorium molten salt reactor.
最具前景的技术方向是将钍用于熔盐反应堆。尽管多国在研发该技术，但中国率先建成了实验性钍基熔盐堆。
The latest breakthrough to add fresh fuel to an operational reactor indicates such technology is ready for sustained commercial deployment.
此次为运行中的反应堆添加新燃料的突破，表明该技术已具备持续商业部署的条件。
It marks the first long-term, stable operation of the technology, putting China at the forefront of a global race to harness thorium for nuclear power.
这标志着该技术首次实现长期稳定运行，使中国在钍核能开发的全球竞赛中处于领先地位。
The experimental reactor, located in the Gobi Desert in China’s west, uses molten salt as the fuel carrier and coolant, and thorium as the fuel source. The reactor is designed to sustainably generate 2 megawatts of thermal power.
这座位于中国西部戈壁的实验反应堆以熔盐为燃料载体和冷却剂，钍为燃料来源，设计可持续产生2兆瓦热能。
The development was announced by the project’s chief scientist, Xu Hongjie, at the Chinese Academy of Sciences on April 8. Xu said China “now leads the global frontier for thorium nuclear technology”.
4月8日，项目首席科学家徐洪杰在中国科学院宣布了这一进展。他表示中国“现已引领钍核技术的全球前沿”。
China’s thorium molten salt reactor project began with theoretical research in the 1970s, and in 2009 the CAS leadership tasked Xu with making the next-generation nuclear energy technology a reality.
中国的钍基熔盐堆项目始于1970年代的理论研究，2009年中科院领导层委派徐洪杰将这项下一代核能技术变为现实。
The project team expanded from dozens of members to more than 400 researchers within two years.
项目团队研究人员在两年内从几十人扩展到400多名。
“We learned by doing, and did by learning,” Xu said. The challenges were immense – designing new materials, troubleshooting for extreme temperatures, and dealing with engineering components that had never been built before.
“我们在做中学，在学中做。”徐洪杰说。挑战是巨大的——设计新材料、解决极端温度下的故障，以及处理从未制造过的工程部件。
After construction of the experimental reactor started in 2018, most of the scientists involved in the project gave up their holidays – they worked day and night, and some stayed on site for more than 300 days in a year. The Gobi Desert is thousands of kilometres away from the major coastal cities.
2018年实验堆开建后，多数参与项目的科学家放弃了休假——他们日夜工作，有些人一年在现场驻留超过300天。戈壁沙漠距离沿海大城市数千公里。
By October 2023 it was built and achieved criticality – a sustained nuclear chain reaction. And by June 2024 it had reached full-power operation.
2023年10月，反应堆建成并实现临界——即持续核链式反应。至2024年6月，它已达到满功率运行。
Earlier this year the process of thorium fuel reloading was completed while the reactor was running – making it the only operational thorium reactor in the world.
今年早些时候，反应堆在运行期间完成了钍燃料补充流程——使其成为全球唯一运行的钍反应堆。
“We chose the hardest path, but the right one,” Xu was quoted as saying, referring to the drive for a real-world application rather than a purely academic pursuit.
“我们选择了最艰难的路，但也是正确的路。”徐洪杰如此说道，意指这项技术以实际应用为目标，而非纯学术追求。
A much bigger thorium molten salt reactor is already being built in China and is slated to achieve criticality by 2030. That research reactor is designed to produce 10 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 10,000 homes for a year.
中国已在建设一座更大的钍基熔盐堆，计划2030年实现临界。该研究堆设计发电功率10兆瓦，足以满足1万户家庭一年的用电需求。
China’s state-owned shipbuilding industry has also unveiled a design for thorium powered container ship that could potentially achieve emission-free maritime transport.
中国国有造船业还公布了一款钍动力集装箱船的设计，有望实现零排放海运。
Meanwhile, US efforts to develop a molten salt reactor remain on paper, despite bipartisan congressional support and Department of Energy initiatives.
与此同时，尽管美国国会两党和能源部支持熔盐堆研发，但其进展仍停留在纸面。
Xu said, “in the nuclear game, there are no quick wins. You need to have strategic stamina, focusing on doing just one thing for 20, 30 years.”
徐洪杰表示：“在核能领域，没有速胜。你需要战略定力，专注于一件事20年、30年。”
In addition to thorium reactors, China is on the leading edge of developing nuclear fusion technology (as opposed to current fission technology) that could lead to carbon-free, almost limitless, and clean energy. Fusion is the way sun powers itself and generates 4 times the amount of energy as fission.
除钍反应堆外，中国在核聚变技术（与当前裂变技术相对）开发上也处于前沿。聚变能实现零碳、近乎无限且清洁的能源，其原理与太阳产能相同，能量产出是裂变的4倍。
At the heart of this fusion revolution lies the tokamak, a donut-shaped device designed to contain superheated plasma using powerful magnetic fields. By mimicking the sun’s conditions—where hydrogen atoms fuse into helium—tokamaks enable the release of tremendous amounts of energy.
这场聚变革命的核心是托卡马克装置——一种利用强磁场约束超高温等离子体的环形设备。通过模拟太阳中氢原子聚变为氦的条件，托卡马克能释放巨大能量。
China is at the leading edge in global nuclear fusion development. Most recently, China achieved several key milestones in fusion research, including –
中国在全球核聚变发展中处于领先地位。最近，中国在聚变研究中取得多项关键里程碑，包括：
– Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), dubbed as “artificial sun” in China, has set new record in January 2025. The project is based Hefei and run by the China Academy of Sciences (CAS), the world’s leading scientific research institute.
- 2025年1月，被称为中国“人造太阳”的全超导托卡马克实验装置（EAST）创下新纪录。该项目位于合肥，由全球领先科研机构中国科学院运营。
EAST maintained a high-confinement plasma for 1,066 seconds, surpassing previous world record of 403 seconds – a crucial step towards sustained fusion reactions necessary for practical energy generation.
EAST将高约束等离子体维持了1,066秒，超越此前403秒的世界纪录——这是实现实用化聚变能源所需持续反应的关键一步。
– HL-2M Tokamak, located in Chengdu, is China’s largest and most advanced tokamak. It has achieved first plasma discharge and high plasma parameters, capable of producing plasma temperatures exceeding 200 million degrees Celsius and plasma currents over 2.5 million amperes, essential for efficient fusion reactions.
- 位于成都的HL-2M是中国最大、最先进的托卡马克装置。它已实现首次等离子体放电和高参数运行，可产生超过2亿摄氏度的等离子体温度和250万安培的等离子体电流，这对高效聚变反应至关重要。
– HH70 Tokamak, developed by Shanghai-based private company Energy Singularity, stands out for integrating high temperature superconducting magnets made from REBCO (rare earth barium copper oxide). This cutting edge technology dramatically reduces the size and cost of conventional tokamaks, paving the way for more accessible and commercial fusion energy.
- 上海民营企业能量奇点研发的HH70托卡马克，因采用稀土钡铜氧化物（REBCO）高温超导磁体而脱颖而出。这项尖端技术大幅缩小了传统托卡马克的体积与成本，为更易普及的商业化聚变能源铺路。
Energy Singularity plans to construct a next-gen tokamak by 2027 and a full scale technological demonstrator for fusion nuclear reaction by 2030.
能量奇点计划2027年建成下一代托卡马克，2030年完成聚变核反应全尺寸技术示范堆。
Although commercial viability remains the final frontier, breakthroughs like EAST and HH70 showcase the significant strides towards turning nuclear fusion into a practical energy solution.
尽管商业化仍是最终难关，但EAST和HH70等突破展现了核聚变迈向实用能源的重大进展。
All the noises around tariffs and trade wars aside, technology is ultimately the path to human development and prosperity. Let’s keep our eyes on the ball.
抛开关税与贸易战的喧嚣，技术终将是人类发展与繁荣之路。让我们紧盯真正的目标。
评论翻译
As the world is spellbound by the zigzagging tariff war drama launched by reality TV star Donnie Trump and people marvel at the sheer destructiveness of a stupid mad man, a truly momentous event just happened in China.
当全世界被真人秀明星唐尼·特朗普发起的曲折关税战戏剧所吸引，并惊叹于这个愚蠢疯子的纯粹破坏力时，中国刚刚发生了一件真正重大的事件。
In early April, Chinese scientists achieved a milestone in clean energy technology by successfully adding fresh fuel to an operational thorium molten salt reactor, the first of its kind in the world. The breakthrough signals the arrival of commercially viable thorium nuclear reactor in China’s future energy mix.
四月初，中国科学家在清洁能源技术领域取得里程碑式成就，成功为全球首座运行中的钍基熔盐堆添加新燃料。这一突破标志着商业可行的钍核反应堆即将进入中国未来的能源结构。
Thorium is much safer and more abundant alternative to uranium for nuclear power as it is widely available, cheaper to extract, has higher energy density, and produces far less long-lasting nuclear waste.
钍是比铀更安全、更丰富的核能替代品，因为它分布广泛、开采成本更低、能量密度更高，且产生的长期核废料少得多。
It is far safer than uranium as it is not fissile on its own so cannot be weaponized. Nuclear industry experts see thorium as the holy grail for future energy revolution next to nuclear fusion, which I’ll touch on briefly at the end.
它比铀安全得多，因为钍本身不可裂变，无法被武器化。核工业专家将钍视为仅次于核聚变的未来能源革命“圣杯”——我将在文末简要提及后者。
Thorium is found in abundant quantity in earth’s crust all over the world. One single mine in China’s Inner Mongolia, the Bayan Obo mine, has enough thorium deposits to theoretically meet China’s energy needs for the next 20,000 years, while producing minimal radioactive waste.
钍在地壳中储量丰富。仅中国内蒙古的白云鄂博矿，其钍储量理论上就能满足中国未来2万年的能源需求，同时产生的放射性废料极少。
The most promising technological direction is to use thorium in molten salt reactors. While multiple nations are developing the technology, China is the first to build an experimental thorium molten salt reactor.
最具前景的技术方向是将钍用于熔盐反应堆。尽管多国在研发该技术，但中国率先建成了实验性钍基熔盐堆。
The latest breakthrough to add fresh fuel to an operational reactor indicates such technology is ready for sustained commercial deployment.
此次为运行中的反应堆添加新燃料的突破，表明该技术已具备持续商业部署的条件。
It marks the first long-term, stable operation of the technology, putting China at the forefront of a global race to harness thorium for nuclear power.
这标志着该技术首次实现长期稳定运行，使中国在钍核能开发的全球竞赛中处于领先地位。
The experimental reactor, located in the Gobi Desert in China’s west, uses molten salt as the fuel carrier and coolant, and thorium as the fuel source. The reactor is designed to sustainably generate 2 megawatts of thermal power.
这座位于中国西部戈壁的实验反应堆以熔盐为燃料载体和冷却剂，钍为燃料来源，设计可持续产生2兆瓦热能。
The development was announced by the project’s chief scientist, Xu Hongjie, at the Chinese Academy of Sciences on April 8. Xu said China “now leads the global frontier for thorium nuclear technology”.
4月8日，项目首席科学家徐洪杰在中国科学院宣布了这一进展。他表示中国“现已引领钍核技术的全球前沿”。
China’s thorium molten salt reactor project began with theoretical research in the 1970s, and in 2009 the CAS leadership tasked Xu with making the next-generation nuclear energy technology a reality.
中国的钍基熔盐堆项目始于1970年代的理论研究，2009年中科院领导层委派徐洪杰将这项下一代核能技术变为现实。
The project team expanded from dozens of members to more than 400 researchers within two years.
项目团队研究人员在两年内从几十人扩展到400多名。
“We learned by doing, and did by learning,” Xu said. The challenges were immense – designing new materials, troubleshooting for extreme temperatures, and dealing with engineering components that had never been built before.
“我们在做中学，在学中做。”徐洪杰说。挑战是巨大的——设计新材料、解决极端温度下的故障，以及处理从未制造过的工程部件。
After construction of the experimental reactor started in 2018, most of the scientists involved in the project gave up their holidays – they worked day and night, and some stayed on site for more than 300 days in a year. The Gobi Desert is thousands of kilometres away from the major coastal cities.
2018年实验堆开建后，多数参与项目的科学家放弃了休假——他们日夜工作，有些人一年在现场驻留超过300天。戈壁沙漠距离沿海大城市数千公里。
By October 2023 it was built and achieved criticality – a sustained nuclear chain reaction. And by June 2024 it had reached full-power operation.
2023年10月，反应堆建成并实现临界——即持续核链式反应。至2024年6月，它已达到满功率运行。
Earlier this year the process of thorium fuel reloading was completed while the reactor was running – making it the only operational thorium reactor in the world.
今年早些时候，反应堆在运行期间完成了钍燃料补充流程——使其成为全球唯一运行的钍反应堆。
“We chose the hardest path, but the right one,” Xu was quoted as saying, referring to the drive for a real-world application rather than a purely academic pursuit.
“我们选择了最艰难的路，但也是正确的路。”徐洪杰如此说道，意指这项技术以实际应用为目标，而非纯学术追求。
A much bigger thorium molten salt reactor is already being built in China and is slated to achieve criticality by 2030. That research reactor is designed to produce 10 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 10,000 homes for a year.
中国已在建设一座更大的钍基熔盐堆，计划2030年实现临界。该研究堆设计发电功率10兆瓦，足以满足1万户家庭一年的用电需求。
China’s state-owned shipbuilding industry has also unveiled a design for thorium powered container ship that could potentially achieve emission-free maritime transport.
中国国有造船业还公布了一款钍动力集装箱船的设计，有望实现零排放海运。
Meanwhile, US efforts to develop a molten salt reactor remain on paper, despite bipartisan congressional support and Department of Energy initiatives.
与此同时，尽管美国国会两党和能源部支持熔盐堆研发，但其进展仍停留在纸面。
Xu said, “in the nuclear game, there are no quick wins. You need to have strategic stamina, focusing on doing just one thing for 20, 30 years.”
徐洪杰表示：“在核能领域，没有速胜。你需要战略定力，专注于一件事20年、30年。”
In addition to thorium reactors, China is on the leading edge of developing nuclear fusion technology (as opposed to current fission technology) that could lead to carbon-free, almost limitless, and clean energy. Fusion is the way sun powers itself and generates 4 times the amount of energy as fission.
除钍反应堆外，中国在核聚变技术（与当前裂变技术相对）开发上也处于前沿。聚变能实现零碳、近乎无限且清洁的能源，其原理与太阳产能相同，能量产出是裂变的4倍。
At the heart of this fusion revolution lies the tokamak, a donut-shaped device designed to contain superheated plasma using powerful magnetic fields. By mimicking the sun’s conditions—where hydrogen atoms fuse into helium—tokamaks enable the release of tremendous amounts of energy.
这场聚变革命的核心是托卡马克装置——一种利用强磁场约束超高温等离子体的环形设备。通过模拟太阳中氢原子聚变为氦的条件，托卡马克能释放巨大能量。
China is at the leading edge in global nuclear fusion development. Most recently, China achieved several key milestones in fusion research, including –
中国在全球核聚变发展中处于领先地位。最近，中国在聚变研究中取得多项关键里程碑，包括：
– Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), dubbed as “artificial sun” in China, has set new record in January 2025. The project is based Hefei and run by the China Academy of Sciences (CAS), the world’s leading scientific research institute.
- 2025年1月，被称为中国“人造太阳”的全超导托卡马克实验装置（EAST）创下新纪录。该项目位于合肥，由全球领先科研机构中国科学院运营。
EAST maintained a high-confinement plasma for 1,066 seconds, surpassing previous world record of 403 seconds – a crucial step towards sustained fusion reactions necessary for practical energy generation.
EAST将高约束等离子体维持了1,066秒，超越此前403秒的世界纪录——这是实现实用化聚变能源所需持续反应的关键一步。
– HL-2M Tokamak, located in Chengdu, is China’s largest and most advanced tokamak. It has achieved first plasma discharge and high plasma parameters, capable of producing plasma temperatures exceeding 200 million degrees Celsius and plasma currents over 2.5 million amperes, essential for efficient fusion reactions.
- 位于成都的HL-2M是中国最大、最先进的托卡马克装置。它已实现首次等离子体放电和高参数运行，可产生超过2亿摄氏度的等离子体温度和250万安培的等离子体电流，这对高效聚变反应至关重要。
– HH70 Tokamak, developed by Shanghai-based private company Energy Singularity, stands out for integrating high temperature superconducting magnets made from REBCO (rare earth barium copper oxide). This cutting edge technology dramatically reduces the size and cost of conventional tokamaks, paving the way for more accessible and commercial fusion energy.
- 上海民营企业能量奇点研发的HH70托卡马克，因采用稀土钡铜氧化物（REBCO）高温超导磁体而脱颖而出。这项尖端技术大幅缩小了传统托卡马克的体积与成本，为更易普及的商业化聚变能源铺路。
Energy Singularity plans to construct a next-gen tokamak by 2027 and a full scale technological demonstrator for fusion nuclear reaction by 2030.
能量奇点计划2027年建成下一代托卡马克，2030年完成聚变核反应全尺寸技术示范堆。
Although commercial viability remains the final frontier, breakthroughs like EAST and HH70 showcase the significant strides towards turning nuclear fusion into a practical energy solution.
尽管商业化仍是最终难关，但EAST和HH70等突破展现了核聚变迈向实用能源的重大进展。
All the noises around tariffs and trade wars aside, technology is ultimately the path to human development and prosperity. Let’s keep our eyes on the ball.
抛开关税与贸易战的喧嚣，技术终将是人类发展与繁荣之路。让我们紧盯真正的目标。
As the world is spellbound by the zigzagging tariff war drama launched by reality TV star Donnie Trump and people marvel at the sheer destructiveness of a stupid mad man, a truly momentous event just happened in China.
当全世界被真人秀明星唐尼·特朗普发起的曲折关税战戏剧所吸引，并惊叹于这个愚蠢疯子的纯粹破坏力时，中国刚刚发生了一件真正重大的事件。
In early April, Chinese scientists achieved a milestone in clean energy technology by successfully adding fresh fuel to an operational thorium molten salt reactor, the first of its kind in the world. The breakthrough signals the arrival of commercially viable thorium nuclear reactor in China’s future energy mix.
四月初，中国科学家在清洁能源技术领域取得里程碑式成就，成功为全球首座运行中的钍基熔盐堆添加新燃料。这一突破标志着商业可行的钍核反应堆即将进入中国未来的能源结构。
Thorium is much safer and more abundant alternative to uranium for nuclear power as it is widely available, cheaper to extract, has higher energy density, and produces far less long-lasting nuclear waste.
钍是比铀更安全、更丰富的核能替代品，因为它分布广泛、开采成本更低、能量密度更高，且产生的长期核废料少得多。
It is far safer than uranium as it is not fissile on its own so cannot be weaponized. Nuclear industry experts see thorium as the holy grail for future energy revolution next to nuclear fusion, which I’ll touch on briefly at the end.
它比铀安全得多，因为钍本身不可裂变，无法被武器化。核工业专家将钍视为仅次于核聚变的未来能源革命“圣杯”——我将在文末简要提及后者。
Thorium is found in abundant quantity in earth’s crust all over the world. One single mine in China’s Inner Mongolia, the Bayan Obo mine, has enough thorium deposits to theoretically meet China’s energy needs for the next 20,000 years, while producing minimal radioactive waste.
钍在地壳中储量丰富。仅中国内蒙古的白云鄂博矿，其钍储量理论上就能满足中国未来2万年的能源需求，同时产生的放射性废料极少。
The most promising technological direction is to use thorium in molten salt reactors. While multiple nations are developing the technology, China is the first to build an experimental thorium molten salt reactor.
最具前景的技术方向是将钍用于熔盐反应堆。尽管多国在研发该技术，但中国率先建成了实验性钍基熔盐堆。
The latest breakthrough to add fresh fuel to an operational reactor indicates such technology is ready for sustained commercial deployment.
此次为运行中的反应堆添加新燃料的突破，表明该技术已具备持续商业部署的条件。
It marks the first long-term, stable operation of the technology, putting China at the forefront of a global race to harness thorium for nuclear power.
这标志着该技术首次实现长期稳定运行，使中国在钍核能开发的全球竞赛中处于领先地位。
The experimental reactor, located in the Gobi Desert in China’s west, uses molten salt as the fuel carrier and coolant, and thorium as the fuel source. The reactor is designed to sustainably generate 2 megawatts of thermal power.
这座位于中国西部戈壁的实验反应堆以熔盐为燃料载体和冷却剂，钍为燃料来源，设计可持续产生2兆瓦热能。
The development was announced by the project’s chief scientist, Xu Hongjie, at the Chinese Academy of Sciences on April 8. Xu said China “now leads the global frontier for thorium nuclear technology”.
4月8日，项目首席科学家徐洪杰在中国科学院宣布了这一进展。他表示中国“现已引领钍核技术的全球前沿”。
China’s thorium molten salt reactor project began with theoretical research in the 1970s, and in 2009 the CAS leadership tasked Xu with making the next-generation nuclear energy technology a reality.
中国的钍基熔盐堆项目始于1970年代的理论研究，2009年中科院领导层委派徐洪杰将这项下一代核能技术变为现实。
The project team expanded from dozens of members to more than 400 researchers within two years.
项目团队研究人员在两年内从几十人扩展到400多名。
“We learned by doing, and did by learning,” Xu said. The challenges were immense – designing new materials, troubleshooting for extreme temperatures, and dealing with engineering components that had never been built before.
“我们在做中学，在学中做。”徐洪杰说。挑战是巨大的——设计新材料、解决极端温度下的故障，以及处理从未制造过的工程部件。
After construction of the experimental reactor started in 2018, most of the scientists involved in the project gave up their holidays – they worked day and night, and some stayed on site for more than 300 days in a year. The Gobi Desert is thousands of kilometres away from the major coastal cities.
2018年实验堆开建后，多数参与项目的科学家放弃了休假——他们日夜工作，有些人一年在现场驻留超过300天。戈壁沙漠距离沿海大城市数千公里。
By October 2023 it was built and achieved criticality – a sustained nuclear chain reaction. And by June 2024 it had reached full-power operation.
2023年10月，反应堆建成并实现临界——即持续核链式反应。至2024年6月，它已达到满功率运行。
Earlier this year the process of thorium fuel reloading was completed while the reactor was running – making it the only operational thorium reactor in the world.
今年早些时候，反应堆在运行期间完成了钍燃料补充流程——使其成为全球唯一运行的钍反应堆。
“We chose the hardest path, but the right one,” Xu was quoted as saying, referring to the drive for a real-world application rather than a purely academic pursuit.
“我们选择了最艰难的路，但也是正确的路。”徐洪杰如此说道，意指这项技术以实际应用为目标，而非纯学术追求。
A much bigger thorium molten salt reactor is already being built in China and is slated to achieve criticality by 2030. That research reactor is designed to produce 10 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 10,000 homes for a year.
中国已在建设一座更大的钍基熔盐堆，计划2030年实现临界。该研究堆设计发电功率10兆瓦，足以满足1万户家庭一年的用电需求。
China’s state-owned shipbuilding industry has also unveiled a design for thorium powered container ship that could potentially achieve emission-free maritime transport.
中国国有造船业还公布了一款钍动力集装箱船的设计，有望实现零排放海运。
Meanwhile, US efforts to develop a molten salt reactor remain on paper, despite bipartisan congressional support and Department of Energy initiatives.
与此同时，尽管美国国会两党和能源部支持熔盐堆研发，但其进展仍停留在纸面。
Xu said, “in the nuclear game, there are no quick wins. You need to have strategic stamina, focusing on doing just one thing for 20, 30 years.”
徐洪杰表示：“在核能领域，没有速胜。你需要战略定力，专注于一件事20年、30年。”
In addition to thorium reactors, China is on the leading edge of developing nuclear fusion technology (as opposed to current fission technology) that could lead to carbon-free, almost limitless, and clean energy. Fusion is the way sun powers itself and generates 4 times the amount of energy as fission.
除钍反应堆外，中国在核聚变技术（与当前裂变技术相对）开发上也处于前沿。聚变能实现零碳、近乎无限且清洁的能源，其原理与太阳产能相同，能量产出是裂变的4倍。
At the heart of this fusion revolution lies the tokamak, a donut-shaped device designed to contain superheated plasma using powerful magnetic fields. By mimicking the sun’s conditions—where hydrogen atoms fuse into helium—tokamaks enable the release of tremendous amounts of energy.
这场聚变革命的核心是托卡马克装置——一种利用强磁场约束超高温等离子体的环形设备。通过模拟太阳中氢原子聚变为氦的条件，托卡马克能释放巨大能量。
China is at the leading edge in global nuclear fusion development. Most recently, China achieved several key milestones in fusion research, including –
中国在全球核聚变发展中处于领先地位。最近，中国在聚变研究中取得多项关键里程碑，包括：
– Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), dubbed as “artificial sun” in China, has set new record in January 2025. The project is based Hefei and run by the China Academy of Sciences (CAS), the world’s leading scientific research institute.
- 2025年1月，被称为中国“人造太阳”的全超导托卡马克实验装置（EAST）创下新纪录。该项目位于合肥，由全球领先科研机构中国科学院运营。
EAST maintained a high-confinement plasma for 1,066 seconds, surpassing previous world record of 403 seconds – a crucial step towards sustained fusion reactions necessary for practical energy generation.
EAST将高约束等离子体维持了1,066秒，超越此前403秒的世界纪录——这是实现实用化聚变能源所需持续反应的关键一步。
– HL-2M Tokamak, located in Chengdu, is China’s largest and most advanced tokamak. It has achieved first plasma discharge and high plasma parameters, capable of producing plasma temperatures exceeding 200 million degrees Celsius and plasma currents over 2.5 million amperes, essential for efficient fusion reactions.
- 位于成都的HL-2M是中国最大、最先进的托卡马克装置。它已实现首次等离子体放电和高参数运行，可产生超过2亿摄氏度的等离子体温度和250万安培的等离子体电流，这对高效聚变反应至关重要。
– HH70 Tokamak, developed by Shanghai-based private company Energy Singularity, stands out for integrating high temperature superconducting magnets made from REBCO (rare earth barium copper oxide). This cutting edge technology dramatically reduces the size and cost of conventional tokamaks, paving the way for more accessible and commercial fusion energy.
- 上海民营企业能量奇点研发的HH70托卡马克，因采用稀土钡铜氧化物（REBCO）高温超导磁体而脱颖而出。这项尖端技术大幅缩小了传统托卡马克的体积与成本，为更易普及的商业化聚变能源铺路。
Energy Singularity plans to construct a next-gen tokamak by 2027 and a full scale technological demonstrator for fusion nuclear reaction by 2030.
能量奇点计划2027年建成下一代托卡马克，2030年完成聚变核反应全尺寸技术示范堆。
Although commercial viability remains the final frontier, breakthroughs like EAST and HH70 showcase the significant strides towards turning nuclear fusion into a practical energy solution.
尽管商业化仍是最终难关，但EAST和HH70等突破展现了核聚变迈向实用能源的重大进展。
All the noises around tariffs and trade wars aside, technology is ultimately the path to human development and prosperity. Let’s keep our eyes on the ball.
抛开关税与贸易战的喧嚣，技术终将是人类发展与繁荣之路。让我们紧盯真正的目标。
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