Scientists estimate the mining complex could yield 1 million tonnes of thorium if fully exploited, according to
The South China Post, which obtained a declassified report of the survey.
The study has claimed that thorium resources in the country's mining waste 'remain totally untouched' and if properly extracted could be large enough to end the worldwide dependence on fossil fuels.
Researchers further allege that five years' worth of mining waste from an iron ore site in Inner Mongolia contains enough thorium to meet American energy demands for over 1,000 years.
The study identified 233 thorium-rich zones across the country and, if accurate, suggests that thorium reserves in China significantly exceed previous estimates.
China, which has started to build the world's first thorium molten salt
nuclear power station, was previously believed to have enough thorium reserves to meet its energy needs for 20,000 years.
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