Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

NRC Issues Construction Permit for Molten Salt Reactor at Texas University

  • By Matt Jones
  • 09/19/24

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently issued a construction permit to Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas, to build the Natural Resources molten salt reactor, according to a news release. The Natura MSR-1 will become the first NRC-licensed liquid fueled salt reactor in U.S. history and the first U.S. university research reactor that has been approved in more than 30 years.

The molten salt research reactor (MSRR) at ACU will mark the first deployment of the Natura MSR-1, a one-megawatt thermal molten salt reactor system, the news release reports. The permit is only the second one ever granted to construct an advanced nuclear reactor. The Natura Resources Research Alliance, the driving force behind the project, consists of Natura Resources, ACU’s NEXT Lab with Texas A&M University, The University of Texas at Austin, and the Georgia Institute of Technology.

“If we're going to meet the growing energy needs, not only in the State of Texas but in our country and the world at large, we must begin deploying advanced nuclear reactors,” said Natura Resources founder and president Douglass Robison. “The Natura MSR-1 deployment at ACU will not only demonstrate successful licensure of a liquid-fueled molten salt reactor but will provide operational data that will allow us to safely and efficiently design and deploy our commercial systems.”

The construction permit review process entails an environmental review and a safety evaluation. The environmental review was conducted in March, and the more recently completed safety review found the MSR-1’s design within federal regulations and safe to construct. The next step is to submit an application for an operating license, which ACU and Natura hope to do in the first half of 2025, the news release reports.

“We appreciate the thorough reviews by the NRC staff,” said Ben Beasley, NEXT Lab director of licensing. “This construction permit is the first step in the NRC's two step licensing process. The construction permit allows ACU and Natura to build and operate the MSRR without uranium. The next step is to apply for and receive the operating license, which will authorize ACU and Natura to fuel the reactor and demonstrate the elegance of molten salt technology.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • William Penn Charter School

    Richard A. Balderston OPC’69 Lower School

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The Richard A. Balderston OPC’69 Lower School has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Grand Prize award in the category of New Construction.

  • Back-to-School Playground Safety: 7 Common Hazards to Look for After Summer Break

    As summer break comes to an end, school administrators have plenty to prepare before students return. While classrooms, hallways and common areas often receive attention during all the back-to-school preparations, the playground should not be overlooked. Months of weather exposure, storms, and regular wear can leave behind hazards that may not be immediately noticeable.

  • Big Horn Academy

    Big Horn Academy

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. Big Horn Academy has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.

  • Texas A&M Opens First Building at Fort Worth Campus, Breaks Ground on Research Facility

    The Texas A&M University System marked a major milestone in the development of its Fort Worth campus by opening its first completed academic building and breaking ground on a second facility designed to expand research and industry collaboration.