Jan 10, 2025
A Dutch consortium is set to create molten salt reactors.
Dutch technology firms Demcon, Thorizon, and VDL Group have entered into a project agreement to demonstrate and validate the manufacturability, safety, and functionality of essential components and non-nuclear (sub)systems of these reactors.
The collaboration between Demcon, Thorizon, and VDL Group was formally established in October of the previous year during a visit by Climate and Green Growth Minister Sophie Hermans to the Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research (DIFFER), a premier research facility located in Eindhoven. During her visit, the consortium partners, along with DIFFER, signed a letter of intent aimed at expediting the development of small modular reactor (SMR) technology in the Netherlands.
A project agreement was signed among the partners in December.
The companies aspire to create an advanced testing facility for the development and testing of molten salt reactor technologies.
In early December, the consortium achieved a significant milestone by submitting a grant application to the Province of Noord-Brabant. Thorizon indicated that this application highlights the commitment of all parties involved to promote innovation and sustainable development in the region.
In 2021, Noord-Brabant initiated the innovation coalition 'Nuclear Energy for the Future,' aiming to harness the manufacturing sector and research institutions in the province to accelerate the development of molten salt reactors (MSRs).
"Participating in this project will not only provide companies with valuable experience but also help them achieve the necessary qualifications to join the supply chain for SMRs and large-scale reactors planned in the Netherlands," stated Thorizon. "This enhances the competitiveness of the Dutch manufacturing sector, creates new jobs, and encourages innovation. The project aims to produce several component prototypes and a testing facility in Noord-Brabant within two and a half years."
"For Thorizon, this is a unique opportunity," remarked Thorizon CEO Kiki Lauwers. "Companies like VDL and Demcon possess unmatched experience in executing high-tech projects, from initial concept to prototype and serial production. Throughout our collaboration with DIFFER, we have found that Brabant provides world-class knowledge and facilities and can respond quickly. Together with these partners, we share an ambitious and pragmatic approach that is essential for our development and successful collaboration."
Thorizon, a spin-off from NRG, which operates the High Flux Reactor in Petten, is working on a 250 MWt/100 MWe MSR aimed at large industrial customers and utilities. The company plans to start the construction of its first reactor, Thorizon One, around 2030. Thorizon collaborates with industry leaders such as Orano, Tractebel, and EDF, and its project has received recognition from the European Commission and the French government under the France 2030 investment initiative.
MSRs utilize molten fluoride salts as their primary coolant, operating at low pressure. They can function with epithermal or fast neutron spectrums and various fuels. The current interest in reviving the MSR concept largely pertains to the use of thorium (for breeding fissile uranium-233), which requires an initial fissile material source, such as plutonium-239.
The DIFFER research institute is at the forefront of research in fusion energy and chemical energy and supports the development of MSRs through its unique DICE (DIFFER Irradiation-Corrosion Experiment) research facility, where the interactions between corrosion, heat, and radiation are examined to optimize material selections.
The collaboration between Demcon, Thorizon, and VDL Group was formally established in October of the previous year during a visit by Climate and Green Growth Minister Sophie Hermans to the Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research (DIFFER), a premier research facility located in Eindhoven. During her visit, the consortium partners, along with DIFFER, signed a letter of intent aimed at expediting the development of small modular reactor (SMR) technology in the Netherlands.
A project agreement was signed among the partners in December.
The companies aspire to create an advanced testing facility for the development and testing of molten salt reactor technologies.
In early December, the consortium achieved a significant milestone by submitting a grant application to the Province of Noord-Brabant. Thorizon indicated that this application highlights the commitment of all parties involved to promote innovation and sustainable development in the region.
In 2021, Noord-Brabant initiated the innovation coalition 'Nuclear Energy for the Future,' aiming to harness the manufacturing sector and research institutions in the province to accelerate the development of molten salt reactors (MSRs).
"Participating in this project will not only provide companies with valuable experience but also help them achieve the necessary qualifications to join the supply chain for SMRs and large-scale reactors planned in the Netherlands," stated Thorizon. "This enhances the competitiveness of the Dutch manufacturing sector, creates new jobs, and encourages innovation. The project aims to produce several component prototypes and a testing facility in Noord-Brabant within two and a half years."
"For Thorizon, this is a unique opportunity," remarked Thorizon CEO Kiki Lauwers. "Companies like VDL and Demcon possess unmatched experience in executing high-tech projects, from initial concept to prototype and serial production. Throughout our collaboration with DIFFER, we have found that Brabant provides world-class knowledge and facilities and can respond quickly. Together with these partners, we share an ambitious and pragmatic approach that is essential for our development and successful collaboration."
Thorizon, a spin-off from NRG, which operates the High Flux Reactor in Petten, is working on a 250 MWt/100 MWe MSR aimed at large industrial customers and utilities. The company plans to start the construction of its first reactor, Thorizon One, around 2030. Thorizon collaborates with industry leaders such as Orano, Tractebel, and EDF, and its project has received recognition from the European Commission and the French government under the France 2030 investment initiative.
MSRs utilize molten fluoride salts as their primary coolant, operating at low pressure. They can function with epithermal or fast neutron spectrums and various fuels. The current interest in reviving the MSR concept largely pertains to the use of thorium (for breeding fissile uranium-233), which requires an initial fissile material source, such as plutonium-239.
The DIFFER research institute is at the forefront of research in fusion energy and chemical energy and supports the development of MSRs through its unique DICE (DIFFER Irradiation-Corrosion Experiment) research facility, where the interactions between corrosion, heat, and radiation are examined to optimize material selections.