Salt-based
Reactors using molten salt as fuel carrier, coolant, or both.
In the record: 11 companies, 2 laboratories and programmes, 4 reactors and 9 reactor designs. These counts include Molten salt reactor and Fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor.
Related approaches
Broader: Fission
Narrower:
- Molten salt reactor Fuel DISSOLVED in the salt, which in most designs is fuel carrier and coolant at once. Distinct from a salt-cooled reactor with solid fuel; the two are often confused. Moderator, where one is used at all, is a separate design choice from the salt: thermal-spectrum MSRs are typically graphite-moderated, fast-spectrum MSRs carry no moderator.
- Fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor Molten salt COOLANT with solid fuel, typically TRISO, and a separate solid moderator, usually graphite. Kairos Power's KP-FHR is the reference example.
Companies 11
Includes companies recorded under a narrower approach, named beside each.
-
Copenhagen Atomics · Molten salt reactor -
Flibe Energy · Molten salt reactor -
Kairos Power · Fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor -
Moltex Energy · Molten salt reactor - NAAREA · Molten salt reactor
- Natura Resources · Molten salt reactor
- Saltfoss Energy · Molten salt reactor
-
Stellaria · Molten salt reactor -
Terrestrial Energy · Molten salt reactor -
ThorCon International · Molten salt reactor -
Thorizon · Molten salt reactor
Laboratories and programmes 2
-
Abilene Christian University · Molten salt reactor -
Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences · Molten salt reactor
Reactors 4
Operating reactors first, then those being built or planned, then those shut down, suspended or cancelled.
- TMSR-LF1 Operating Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences · CN · Molten salt reactor · 1 measurement
- Hermes test reactor Under construction Kairos Power · US · Fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor · 1 measurement
- Hermes 2 test reactor facility Planned Kairos Power · US · Fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor
- Molten Salt Research Reactor (Abilene Christian University) Planned Abilene Christian University · US · Molten salt reactor
Reactor designs 9
Size class is worked out from the electrical output of one unit: up to 10 MWe is a microreactor, up to 300 MWe a small modular reactor. A design with no stated output is not classed.
| Design | Developer | Approach | Electrical output per unit | Size class | Licensing stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compact Molten Salt Reactor (CMSR) CMSR | Saltfoss Energy | Molten salt reactor | 110 MWe planned | Small modular reactor | No milestone recorded |
| Copenhagen Atomics Waste Burner CA Waste Burner, Onion Core | Copenhagen Atomics | Molten salt reactor | Output not stated | Not classed | No milestone recorded |
| Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR) IMSR, IMSR400 | Terrestrial Energy | Molten salt reactor | 195 MWe planned | Small modular reactor | No milestone recorded |
| KP-FHR Kairos Power Fluoride Salt-Cooled High-Temperature Reactor, KP-X | Kairos Power | Fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor | 75 MWe planned | Small modular reactor | No milestone recorded |
| MSR-100 | Natura Resources | Molten salt reactor | Output not stated | Not classed | No milestone recorded |
| Stable Salt Reactor - Wasteburner (SSR-W) SSR-W, SSR-W300 | Moltex Energy | Molten salt reactor | 300 MWe planned | Small modular reactor | No milestone recorded |
| Stellarium | Stellaria | Molten salt reactor | 110 MWe planned | Small modular reactor | No milestone recorded |
| ThorCon ThorCon 500, TMSR-500 | ThorCon International | Molten salt reactor | 250 MWe planned | Small modular reactor | No milestone recorded |
| Thorizon One Thorizon | Thorizon | Molten salt reactor | 100 MWe planned | Small modular reactor | No milestone recorded |
Measurements
2 reactors using this approach carry 2 measurements: 1 claimed, 1 planned. The values, each with its status and source, are on the benchmark and on each device's page. Most measured: TMSR-LF1 (1), Hermes test reactor (1).
Guides
Includes guides about the narrower approaches.
- Find companies by reactor type How to list the companies working on one kind of fusion machine or fission reactor, using the companies directory, the technology pages and the device table.
- Reactor types explained The three questions that classify any fission reactor, and how pressurised water, boiling water, heavy water, gas-cooled, salt-cooled, molten-salt, sodium, lead and heat-pipe reactors each answer them.
Salt-based in the glossary · Fission overview · All approaches