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China plans to build the world’s first nuclear-powered container ship, marking a significant breakthrough for the country in the maritime industry. The KUN-24AP project was unveiled at the Marintec China 2023 exposition, but no details are yet available. The vessel has huge dimensions. It is expected to be able to carry up to 24,000 containers.
One of the main features of the KUN-24AP will be the use of a molten-salt reactor with thorium as fuel. Thorium is a more common and cost-effective radioactive metal than uranium. Thorium reactors are capable of operating at high temperature and low pressure, reducing the need for water cooling and reducing the likelihood of accidents.
