Norwegian energy developer Ocean-Power and Danish nuclear technology company Copenhagen Atomics have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to investigate the potential for producing electricity and heat in Norway using thorium-based molten salt reactors.
The collaboration will combine Ocean-Power’s expertise in project development and energy conversion with Copenhagen Atomics’ advanced reactor technology. Copenhagen Atomics is developing compact thorium reactors with the aim of delivering energy at a levelised cost of just €20 ($23.4) per MWh.
Copenhagen Atomics has been developing a modular molten salt reactor based on thorium since 2014. The thorium reactors are designed to consume the transuranic elements in used nuclear fuel from conventional light water nuclear reactors. To achieve this the company intends to separate used nuclear fuel into four streams: zircaloy, uranium, fission products and transuranics. By using the transuranic element plutonium it can ‘kickstart’ the use of thorium and radically reduce the amount of long-lived nuclear waste. The company is building and testing full-scale non-nuclear prototypes of the reactor in Denmark and is collaborating with the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland to prepare for the first nuclear test of the reactor.
The study with Ocean-Power will assess the technical and regulatory conditions for deploying thorium reactors in Norway. It will include evaluations of power and heat demands, site selection, dialogue with Norwegian stakeholders, and conceptual design of a plant based on Copenhagen Atomics’ reactor modules.
“This is an important step in our mission to provide sustainable and reliable power for Norwegian industry,” said Erling Ronglan, CEO of Ocean-Power. “We see great potential in Copenhagen Atomics’ technology and look forward to exploring how it can be integrated with our capabilities to deliver clean, firm power to the grid.”
Ocean-Power is looking to become an electricity provider both offshore and near shore. The aim is to build, own and operate floating gas power plants as both an offshore and a near shore power hub, with high efficiency power generation by use of gas turbines combined with carbon capture or thorium-based reactors., resulting in low CO2 emissions.
Thomas Jam Pedersen, CEO of Copenhagen Atomics, noted: “Our modular reactor technology is designed to be scalable, cost-efficient, and flexible. We are excited about this collaboration with Ocean-Power and view Norway as a promising market for the next generation of nuclear energy.
While a number of countries have shown interest in using thorium as a reactor fuel, only India, which has large thorium reserves, has to date constructed a thorium reactor. KAMINI (Kalpakkam Mini reactor), a research reactor at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research in Kalpakkam, achieved criticality in 1996. KAMINI is cooled and moderated by light water, uses a beryllium oxide neutron reflector, and is fuelled with uranium-233 metal produced by the thorium fuel cycle harnessed by the neighbouring Fast Breeder Test Reactor. Use of thorium to produce nuclear fuel is a key strategy of India’s nuclear energy programme. Norway has significant thorium resources but they remain unexploited.
