Canada-based Terrestrial Energy said on 17 March that it has awarded Germany’s KSB Pumps a supply contract to develop and manufacture primary pumps for use in the Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR®), a Generation IV advanced nuclear power plant. The new agreement is a result of a collaborative procurement process by Terrestrial Energy and KSB, and follows a long-term cooperation Memorandum of Understanding signed by the two companies in March 2020.
The IMSR® primary molten salt pump circulates the fuel salt from the reactor graphite core to the primary heat exchangers, and is a key component of Terrestrial Energy’s IMSR® power plant. KSB develops and supplies NPP pumps qualified to nuclear industry codes and standards. The IMSR® primary molten salt pump will be designed to meet the nuclear safety, performance and reliability requirements for IMSR® operation, Terrestrial said.
“KSB has market-leading technical expertise in nuclear pumps. We have many years of experience in developing pumps for use in demanding operating conditions such as the high temperatures of a molten salt liquid,” said Andreas Hefter, Vice President Nuclear Energy at KSB. “This contract award to KSB Pumps is an important milestone and follows an extensive procurement process led by our nuclear supply chain team,” said Simon Irish, CEO of Terrestrial Energy.
