Texas-based Natura Resources has received a US Department of Energy (DOE) Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) Voucher to partner with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to advance its molten salt reactor (MSR) technology. GAIN awards facilitate public-private partnerships, allowing Natura to access the technical expertise and specialised facilities of the DOE national laboratories.
Natura is partnering with Texas A&M University to deploy the MSR-100 reactor design that uses a liquid fuel composed of fissile uranium material dissolved in a molten salt mixture. The reactor, which is designed to operate at temperatures exceeding 600°C and at lower pressures includes passive safety mechanisms. The high-temperature heat generated by the MSR-100 can be used for industrial applications including desalination. The company expects to have its first commercial-scale, 100-megawatt reactor online in 2030.
Natura will use the GAIN Voucher to accelerate graphite qualification for the MSR-100. It will partner with ORNL to develop a graphite qualification plan and identify performance characteristics and development plans to design, approve, and perform graphite irradiations with fuel-bearing salts. The plan will look at using the existing High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at ORNL to support rapid neutron irradiation of graphite. The project also will include the development of fuel-bearing, molten salt irradiation capsules to support future irradiation testing.
Jordan Robison, Natura’s Chief Operating Officer, noted: “Access to the premier talent and equipment at ORNL will help us continue accelerating commercialisation of our molten salt reactor technology and bring critically needed nuclear energy online.”
The smaller Natura MSR-1 design is being developed at Abilene Christian University (ACU) as the university’s molten salt research reactor (MSRR). In September 2024, it was the first liquid-fuelled reactor design to receive a construction permit from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). MSR-1 is a 1 MWt, graphite-moderated, fluoride salt flowing fluid (fuel dissolved in the salt) research reactor. The MSRR will be used for on-campus nuclear research and training in advanced nuclear technologies. Natura expects to deploy this reactor in 2026. Natura has secured more than $120m in private funding and a commitment of $120m from the State of Texas.
