1st molten salt nuclear reactor in 30 years gains historic permit from US Agency

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has granted Abilene Christian University (ACU) the construction permit for an advanced nuclear reactor called the Natura MSR-1.

This is the first liquid salt-fueled reactor ever licensed by the NRC and the first university research reactor approved in the US in over 30 years.

The Natura MSR-1, a 1-megawatt thermal molten salt reactor system developed in association with Natura Resources, will be used for the first time at ACU’s molten salt research reactor (MSRR).

According to the University, there have only ever been two construction permits for advanced nuclear reactors, a new kind of nuclear energy intended to outperform conventional reactors in terms of safety, efficiency, and cost.

“If we’re going to meet the growing energy needs, not only in the State of Texas but in our country and the world at large, we must begin deploying advanced nuclear reactors,” said Douglass Robison, Natura Resources founder and president, in a statement.

Molten salt innovation

An advanced reactor that uses liquid fuel—molten salts—as both fuel and coolant is called a Liquid-Fueled Molten Salt Reactor (LF-MSR).

For this use, mixtures of lithium fluoride (LiF), beryllium fluoride (BeF2), and/or thorium fluoride salts are the most frequently discussed molten salts. High operating temperatures and distinctive characteristics set LF-MSRs apart from conventional solid-fuel reactors.

The fission products in liquid-fuel MSR designs dissolve in the fuel salt and are best removed constantly in a nearby online reprocessing loop, where they are substituted by fissile actinides such as uranium or plutonium, or maybe fertile Th-232 or U-238.

Because liquid fuel removes the chance of a meltdown, MSRs can “walk away safe.” In the event of a fault, the fuel salt solidifies, cools, and is securely kept inside the system.

Additionally, they are significantly more efficient—their goal is to burn up more than 90 percent of the fuel, compared to the present solid fuel reactors’ less than 5 percent consumption rate.

A Uranium atom fissions into two or more sizable fragments, which are referred to as fission products. Molybdenum-99 is one of the many fission products that are essential isotopes for medical diagnosis and therapy.

The primary heat removal system uses a cooling loop to transport heat from the fission process to a different process fluid, which can be employed in various ways.

Natura reactor advances

The MSRR will be licensed and deployed through the Natura Resources Research Alliance, which was formed by Natura Resources with the support of ACU’s NEXT Lab, Texas A&M University, The University of Texas at Austin, and Georgia Institute of Technology.

The MSRR will be housed at ACU’s Dillard Science and Engineering Research Center, which is the first advanced reactor demonstration facility outside of a national lab.

An environmental analysis and a safety evaluation are part of the construction permit review process to determine the potential impact of the proposed reactor on public health and safety.

After completing its environmental study, ACU concluded in March that there had been “no significant impact.” According to the results of the recently finished safety evaluation, the basic design of the Natura MSR-1 complies with federal laws and is safe to build.

“ACU is thrilled to have Natura as a partner as we work together to answer the world’s increased demand for reliable energy, medical isotopes, and clean water through the deployment of liquid-fueled molten salt reactors. With the NRC’s issuance of the construction permit, we are one step closer to making that a reality,” said Dr. Phil Schubert, ACU president, in a statement .

The NRC’s construction permit for ACU and Natura is the first stage in their two-step licensing process. This permit allows them to build and operate the MSRR without uranium. The next step is to secure an operating license, enabling them to fuel the reactor and showcase molten salt technology.

With the construction permit granted, ACU and Natura will apply for an operating license and finalize the MSR-1 design, aiming to submit the application in early 2025.

Natura’s first deployment boosts their development of 100 MWe systems and includes a partnership with the Texas Produced Water Consortium for energy and water treatment.