HEFEI -- A lead-based reactor industrial supply chain will be built in China, according to the Institute of Nuclear Energy Safety Technology (INEST) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

The lead-based reactor is a type of advanced nuclear system that uses lead or lead alloy as the coolant. It is safer and more affordable, according to INEST.

China began research on the lead-based reactor in the late 1980s. The lead-based reactor provides an important way to safely and efficiently promote the commercial application of advanced nuclear energy.

The reactor is expected to support power supply, ocean development, and aerospace power. It can also be used in nuclear waste treatment and fusion power plants.

A lead-based reactor industrial alliance was established earlier this month in China, led by INEST.