US-based Terrestrial Energy is to collaborate with energy solutions provider Ameresco to advance the commercial deployment of its Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR). The collaboration covers site identification and IMSR plant project development, design, licensing, construction and operation across the US.
The collaboration aims to deliver customised, scalable, reliable, clean, and cost-competitive energy for data centre and industrial applications, combining the IMSR with Ameresco’s expertise in energy systems’ design, hybridisation, integration and operation. Integration of energy systems is expected to include the use of a natural gas-fired energy bridge in IMSR plant operation to enable early electricity delivery well in advance of IMSR nuclear systems being completed and brought to commercial operation.
The IMSR design is for a 442 MWt per Core-unit (IMSR400) small modular molten salt fuelled, graphite moderated, thermal spectrum reactor. Terrestrial Energy has developed a two-unit configuration which can deliver 884 MWt/390 MWe. The design features a completely sealed reactor vessel with integrated pumps, heat exchangers and shutdown rods all mounted inside a single vessel.
The sealed Core-unit is replaced completely at the end of its useful service life (nominally seven years). This allows factory production levels of quality control and economy, while avoiding any need to open and service the reactor vessel at the power plant site. The IMSR400 does not depend on operator intervention, powered mechanical components, coolant injection or their support systems such as electricity supply or instrument air in dealing with upset conditions. It operates at the high temperature required for broad industrial relevance and is designed to use standard assay low enriched uranium fuel.
“Site- and use-specific customisation of IMSR plant output and its hybridisation with other systems including natural gas are essential to capture today’s market for near located supply of reliable clean nuclear energy,” said Terrestrial Energy CEO Simon Irish. “Our IMSR plant excels in its capacity to be adapted and customised to market needs in a grid congested world. Ameresco’s proven track record in energy system integration creates a powerful platform to develop IMSR plant projects that meet the emerging requirements of rapidly growing demand for reliable, carbon-free energy across multiple industrial sectors.”
Nicole Bulgarino, President of Federal Solutions and Utility Infrastructure at Ameresco, noted: “Our collaboration with Terrestrial Energy reflects our commitment to expanding the capabilities of our clean energy portfolio. By exploring hybrid energy systems that leverage the IMSR plant’s heat and power output, we’re enhancing our ability to deliver reliable, cost-effective, and sustainable solutions tailored to the evolving needs of data centres and industrial customers.”
Terrestrial has partnerships and agreements with, among others, Westinghouse Fuels, Energy Solutions, Schneider Electric, the US Department of Energy (DOE), and Argonne National Laboratory. In 2023, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) completed its programmatic Vendor Design Review of the IMSR plant design,
Texas A&M University recently selected Terrestrial Energy to partner on the construction of a commercial IMSR plant at the Texas A&M RELLIS campus, contributing to the university’s goal of achieving 1 GW of generating capacity at the site by the mid-2030s.
