The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has approved cost-shared funding for an accelerated final stage of the Molten Chloride Reactor Experiment (MCRE), under its Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program. The funding will support work by Southern Company, Idaho National Laboratory and CORE POWER to advance scientific understanding of molten salt reactor technology and inform future reactor development. MCRE is expected to achieve first criticality as early as 2027.

MCRE is designed to become the world's first fast-spectrum molten chloride salt reactor experiment to reach criticality, marking a historic step in the development of advanced nuclear technology. The experiment is expected to generate critical data on the behavior of the fuel, reactor operation and performance, providing the scientific and engineering foundation needed to support future reactor design, licensing pathways and commercial deployment. By reducing technical risk and expanding industry understanding of fast-spectrum molten salt systems, MCRE is expected to accelerate innovation across a range of reactor developers.

Jess Gehin, associate laboratory director for Nuclear Science & Technology at Idaho National Laboratory, said: “MCRE will be the world’s first fast-spectrum molten chloride reactor to achieve criticality. It will provide direct measurements of how this novel reactor behaves during sustained fission, data that until now, has come from models alone. Enhancing those models with real-world operating evidence will reduce uncertainty for future reactor designers and regulators.”

MCRE demonstrates how industry, government and research institutions can work together to advance complex technologies, align expertise and resources, and move promising science from the laboratory toward real-world applications.

Dr. Mark S. Berry, Southern Company senior vice president of research, environment and sustainability, said: “Public-private partnerships play an essential role in advancing energy technologies from concept to demonstration. Through collaboration among DOE, Idaho National Laboratory and industry partners, MCRE will help expand knowledge of molten salt reactor technology and help reduce technical uncertainty for future developers. This type of collaboration allows organizations to share expertise, accelerate innovation and evaluate technologies that could help meet growing energy demand while supporting reliable, affordable energy for customers and communities.”

Fast-spectrum molten salt reactors have the potential to transform far more than electricity generation. From powering industrial processes and producing life-saving medical isotopes to enabling future maritime propulsion and extracting additional value from used nuclear fuel, the technology could unlock a new generation of nuclear energy applications.*

Mikal Bøe, CEO of CORE POWER, said: "New nuclear, like any truly transformative technology, requires vision and being in it for the long game. We first committed to building MCRE in 2020, and we are proud to now accelerate this world-first nuclear fuel cycle to criticality as early as 2027. The data generated by this unique experiment will help determine how we develop engineering, licensing and an entirely new supply chain to practical commercial deployment of fast-spectrum molten salt reactors. CORE POWER's role in this partnership is to help translate advanced reactor technology into deployable industrial systems and unique delivery mechanisms needed to realize the potential of this technology.

“Merging the pathway of novel nuclear fuel cycle development that MCRE represents with CORE POWER's pathway of maritime nuclear development, creates unique opportunities to deliver an ultimately sustainable nuclear fuel solution to new markets around the world. One such market is a sustainable future of civil maritime nuclear propulsion of large commercial ships, where an enduring, zero-emission power source can transform the way global trade is transported at sea.”