China plans to inaugurate in 2027 the first commercial prototype of an Accelerator Driven System (ADS) in the city of Huizhou, Guangdong province. This hybrid reactor between a particle accelerator and a nuclear reactor promises to use nuclear waste as fuel, generating green and safe energy for centuries.
According to the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the system could burn uranium a hundred times more efficiently than conventional reactors and reduce the lifespan of radioactive waste to less than one-thousandth of its current duration. Instead of remaining dangerous for hundreds of thousands of years, the waste would become harmless in just a few hundred.
How the ADS Works
The reactor operates in a subcritical state, meaning it cannot sustain a chain reaction on its own. It relies on an external supply of neutrons generated by a particle accelerator.
- If the proton beam is cut, the reaction stops automatically, eliminating the risk of an uncontrolled reaction.
- The system uses a high-current proton beam that impacts a liquid target of lead and bismuth, releasing neutrons through a process called spallation.
- These neutrons sustain fission and bombard the actinides (the most dangerous elements of nuclear waste), transforming them into much shorter-lived isotopes.
- Additionally, it converts uranium-238 into plutonium-239, a fissionable fuel.
As researcher He Yuan summarizes: “It turns trash into treasure”.
The Problem of Nuclear Waste
Conventional reactors generate waste that remains dangerous for tens of thousands of years. Until now, the only solution has been deep geological storage, a costly strategy with long-term uncertainties.
The ADS offers an alternative that could radically change nuclear waste management.
Background and International Competition
- China began researching this technology in 2011 and in 2021 achieved a small-scale operational prototype. The leap to the 1 MW reactor in 2027 would be the first step towards commercial viability.
- Europe is developing the MYRRHA project in Belgium, with a similar design but on a larger scale (100 MW thermal), scheduled for 2035.
- Japan is working on its ADS program linked to the J-PARC complex, although still in the experimental phase.
- India, South Korea, and Russia also have active programs, but none have built a real power prototype.
Strategic Importance
China is investing billions of yuan in this project as part of its strategy for energy independence and carbon neutrality. Unlike other countries, it considers nuclear fission key to achieving these goals alongside renewables, fusion, and experimental technologies like thorium reactors.
The ADS reactor in Huizhou represents a technological and environmental leap: transforming hazardous waste into clean and safe energy. If it delivers on its promises, it could redefine the role of nuclear energy in the world and offer an unprecedented solution to the problem of radioactive waste.
