Copenhagen Atomics is looking to build a fleet of portable reactors that fit in a 40-foot container. They plan to provide “Energy as a service”, basically heat delivered at 560 degrees C via molten salt and metered by the MWh. They use spent nuclear fuel to get the reactor started, then burn Thorium in a …
Based in Copenhagen, Seaborg is working on compact molten salt reactors that can be deployed on a “power barge” (basically a ship). They don’t specify what fuel they are using other than it is molten. They are targeting the first power barge delivery in 2028. Website
A reactor design that fits in a truck trailer for portable power applications. Thermal spectrum Molten salt breeder Thorium fuel Also working on a chemical process (“Celex”) to reprocess spent fuel into useful materials and more fuel. Website
ThorCon’s predecessor company was a shipbuilder, building oil tankers. They are applying this construction expertise to building complete nuclear powerplants in ship’s hulls that can be floated to their destination. They can be returned to the factory for servicing if needed. By using existing shipyards for building the reactors, they should be able to reduce …
Small Modular Reactors that burn nuclear waste, and the processing needed to make that work. Technologies “under development”: SSR-W (Stable Salt Reactor – Waste) Fast spectrum reactor Fuel is recycled nuclear waste, presumably processed by the WATSS system below. SSR-U (Stable Salt Reactor – Uranium) Thermal spectrum reactor Uranium fuel WATSS (Waste to Stable Salt) …
Modular molten-salt reactors. Thermal spectrum Graphite moderated Molten fluoride salt Low-enriched U235 fuel. Could use Thorium. They call their reactor design IMSR. Not clear what the ‘I’ stands for, the MSR is clearly Molten Salt Reactor. The reactor is designed to be modular and replaceable after its 7-year life. Website
Using pressurized CO2 (which changes to a liquid under pressure, even at ambient temperature) to store energy. The pressurized gas is used to run a turbine to recover the energy. The CO2 gas is recaptured in a domed building with a bladder inside, and is re-pressurized to complete the cycle and “recharge” the storage. They …
Working on molten-salt reactor design and recycling nuclear waste as fuel. Currently in pre-licensing stage with target of 2028 for a working site. From Department of Energy report (link): Elysium Industries USA, Inc. aims to produce safe, cost effective, carbon conscious energy through the development of an advanced liquid-fueled reactor technology. The Elysium liquid-fueled reactor …
Using advanced forms of algae that can double in mass each day to capture carbon from the air. The sites are located in the desert and the algae that captures the carbon is buried after their life cycle is through, thus preventing the carbon from being released again. Website
Small modular reactors and fuel for them. The reactors are a high-temp gas cooled design. Helium is used as the cooling gas. The TRISO fuel pellets (see this reference) are “no larger than” a billiard ball and contain 18,000 particles of (assuming enriched) uranium wrapped in several layers of graphite. More than 200,000 of these …