Dutch consortium to develop molten salt reactors

Thursday, 9 January 2025

The partnership between Demcon, Thorizon and VDL Group was formalised in October last year during a visit by Climate and Green Growth Minister Sophie Hermans to the Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research (DIFFER), a leading research institute in Eindhoven. During the visit, the consortium partners, along with DIFFER, signed a letter of intent to accelerate small modular reactor (SMR) technology development in the Netherlands.

A project agreement between the partners was signed in December.

The companies aim to establish an advanced testing facility where molten salt reactor technologies can be developed and tested.

In early December, the consortium reached a major milestone by submitting a grant application to the Province of Noord-Brabant. Thorizon said this application underlines the commitment of the involved parties to foster innovation and sustainable development in the region.

In 2021, Noord-Brabant launched the innovation coalition 'Nuclear Energy for the Future' with the goal of leveraging the manufacturing industry and research institutes 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 attain the qualifications needed to become part of the supply chain for SMRs and large-scale reactors planned in the Netherlands," Thorizon said. "This strengthens the competitiveness of the Dutch manufacturing sector, creates new jobs, and fosters innovation. The project aims to deliver several component prototypes and a test facility in Noord-Brabant within two and a half years."

"For Thorizon, this is a unique opportunity," said Thorizon CEO Kiki Lauwers. "Companies like VDL and Demcon have unparalleled experience in realising high-tech projects, from concept to prototype and serial production. During our collaboration with DIFFER, we have seen that Brabant offers world-class knowledge and facilities and can act quickly. With these partners, we share an ambitious and pragmatic mindset that is crucial for our development and successful collaboration."

Thorizon - a spin-off from NRG, which operates the High Flux Reactor in Petten - is developing a 250 MWt/100 MWe MSR, targeted at large industrial customers and utilities. The company plans to begin constructing its first reactor, Thorizon One, around 2030. Thorizon collaborates with industry leaders such as Orano, Tractebel and EDF, and its project has been selected by the European Commission and the French government under the France 2030 investment plan.

MSRs use molten fluoride salts as primary coolant, at low pressure. They may operate with epithermal or fast neutron spectrums, and with a variety of fuels. Much of the interest today in reviving the MSR concept relates to using thorium (to breed fissile uranium-233), where an initial source of fissile material such as plutonium-239 needs to be provided.

The DIFFER research institute conducts leading-edge research on fusion energy and chemical energy and supports the development of MSRs through its unique DICE (DIFFER Irradiation-Corrosion Experiment) research facility, where the interaction between corrosion, heat, and radiation is studied to optimise material choices.