M'sia Eyes Strategic Ties With China, India On Use Of Thorium Nuclear Technology

KUALA LUMPUR, March 5 (Bernama) – Malaysia aims to collaborate, share knowledge, and acquire technology transfer from China and India in the use of thorium as nuclear fuel, said Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Chang Lih Kang.

He said that, at present, the two countries are at the forefront of utilising this technology.

However, Chang noted that the use of thorium as nuclear fuel is still in its early stages, and no country has yet demonstrated the ‘maturity’ of this technology.

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“For example, in China, the thorium molten salt reactor is considered a fourth-generation reactor—the most advanced and safest to date. However, even they are still in the development phase, and their small modular reactor (SMR) is only expected to be operational in 2029,” he said.

He was replying to a supplementary question from Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (PN-Kubang Kerian) regarding the use of thorium as nuclear fuel during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.

To another supplementary question from P. Prabakaran (PH-Batu) on the same issue, Chang said that the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), through Nuklear Malaysia (Malaysian Nuclear Agency), has established a pilot plant for the extraction and purification of thorium from local minerals such as monazite, exploring its potential role in future fuel supply chains.

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Thorium (Th) is an element with potential applications in nuclear energy. Unlike uranium, it is more abundant, produces less long-lived radioactive waste, and has a higher melting point, making it attractive for next-generation nuclear reactors, particularly molten salt reactors (MSRs).

Chang stated that MOSTI has been involved in SMR capacity development since 2024, for instance, through a programme under the United States government—Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology (FIRST).

He explained that the FIRST programme supports countries interested in exploring the potential of SMRs and advanced nuclear technology while ensuring that nuclear technology usage meets the highest safety standards, with backing from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) statutes.

Addressing Prabakaran’s original question on nuclear cooperation with other countries, Chang said that Malaysia supports and plays an active role in the peaceful development and use of nuclear science and technology, both internationally and nationally.

He pointed out that Malaysia has been involved in multilateral collaborations with international organisations since the country signed the IAEA on 15 January 1969.

“MOSTI, through Nuklear Malaysia, has also been a member of the International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO) under IAEA cooperation since 2012. INPRO consists of 47 member countries, including Japan and France,” he said.

Chang added that through Malaysia’s active participation in INPRO, the country and other members are involved in long-term projects and collaborations on innovations in reactors, fuel cycles, and institutional approaches that promote the sustainable development of nuclear energy.

-- BERNAMA