Molten salt reactor developer Thorizon announced it has secured broad industrial and regional support in the Netherlands for the construction of Thorizon Pioneer, a nuclear demonstrator for next-generation molten-salt reactors. www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/dut...

This interview allows Simon Irish, CEO of Terrestrial Energy, to make a maximal financial case for his company. Unlike most CEOs of nuclear-reactor startups, Irish has a background in corporate finance and analysis. This thread collects some of the most interesting quotes. 1/9

Singapore-based Thorcon has completed the "first step" of its permitting process in Indonesia. The company hopes to begin construction of its 500 MWe reactor within two years. The reactor would be built in a shipyard, installed on a floating barge, and towed into place.

Univ. of New Brunswick has opened its Advanced Nuclear Reactors Laboratory to accelerate R&D, technical support, and workforce development. Moltex Energy, a UNB research partner for more than 7 years, noted that the facilities are specifically designed to handle molten salts. 1/2

Esben Klinkby, a VP of Saltfoss Energy (formerly Seaborg Technologies), presents the firm's current status and long-term plans. Their principal product is a floating power barge with low-enriched-uranium molten-salt reactors. They are designing and testing with more than 18 partners worldwide. 1/3

This thread about China's operating thorium molten-salt reactor includes a complete news article translated into English.

Even as Moltex Energy faces reorganization and a potential sale to new owners, its Canadian subsidiary is pushing ahead with a pre-licensing agreement with Canadian regulators. Pre-licensing discussions will resolve safety and security issues early, so the permitting process can be streamlined. 1/2

Terrestrial Energy will consummate its relationship with a SPAC to become the world's first publicly traded molten salt reactor company. The deal will provide $280M in funding, which may be used to build the firm's pilot reactor in Brazos County, Texas.

Stellaria, a French developer of fast-spectrum molten chloride salt reactors, announced that it passed an initial safety review by French regulators "in record time." Stellaria's reactor is now officially in the preliminary phase of permitting for construction and operation.

Thorizon, a spinoff from a Dutch nuclear research lab, will build a non-fueled prototype reactor for testing. Its molten-salt tech uses a chloride fuel-salt mixture of uranium, spent nuclear fuel, and thorium. The CEO calls it "the first steps from the drawing board to the realization of parts..."

This is a worthwhile podcast interview with Natura Resources CEO Doug Robison -- well-informed, to the point, and packed with facts. Robison says the MSR-1 research reactor will begin operation in early 2027, and thinks that Natura's MSR-100 commercial reactor will begin operation by 2030.

Thorcon has been working with Indonesian government, university, and commercial partners for over 8 years. It's pursuing a conventional development strategy: it will design a "paper" reactor and obtain all permits, financing, and construction agreements prior to building a single component.

Moltex Energy announced that its nuclear waste recycling technology has been validated by the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, using used fuel from a commercial reactor in Canada. The company claims that its process is a financially viable alternative to conventional disposal options.

This profile of the Copenhagen Atomics company is accessible, engaging, upbeat, and future-oriented. In several ways, it's a model for communicating advanced-nuclear ambitions to curious yet nontechnical audiences.

French microreactor developer Naarea announced the commissioning of its industrial test facility and laboratory, which will be used to conduct non-nuclear tests and experiments to support the development of its XAMR molten salt fast microreactor. www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/naa...

A potential earthquake in the world of molten-salt reactors. The Texas A&M RELLIS campus invited 3 molten-salt reactor companies to build commercial plants, with the university handling permitting. It represents an unprecedented ambition to vault into the leadership of advanced-reactor development.‪

Generation IV International Forum (GIF) webinar 97 materials are now available. This presentation has two important elements. One, a global review of molten salt reactor R&D. Two, news that China's TMSR-LF1 molten-salt reactor ran at full power for 10 days in 2024, with thorium in the fuel mix. 1/3

Recycling of commercial nuclear fuel is banned in many countries because of weapons-proliferation fears. But a series of papers argues that recycling can pose less overall weapons-proliferation risk than using fuel once. The key factors are the recycling process and reactor design. 1/9

The presentation PDFs from the 2024 Molten Salt Reactor Workshop at Oak Ridge National Lab are now online. You'll find developer updates from Copenhagen Atomics, ThorCon, Wielenga, Stellaria, Kairos Power, Natura Resources, and Terrestrial Energy. 1/4

About 20 years ago, Kirk Sorensen introduced molten salt reactors to the online realm and altered the lives of many. Today he's just as compelling when he argues for reactor designs that are simpler, cheaper, and less risky than conventional designs. @gordonmcdowell.bsky.social

From a presentation by Robin Rickman of @terrestrialenergy.bsky.social, this chart explains how fluid-fuel reactors can be much less expensive than conventional nuclear reactors. I'll try to explain the meaning of each bar in the chart. 1/7

Which small modular reactor (SMR) designs are being actively developed around the world? How far have they progressed toward construction and operation? A report by the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency answers those questions. 1/6

Thomas Jam Pedersen, CEO of Copenhagen Atomics, believes that spent nuclear fuel will become more valuable than gold in the future. This partnership has the potential to not only fuel molten salt reactors, but also greatly reduce the volume, longevity, and cost of nuclear reactor waste.