Next-gen molten salt reactor designed to generate 300 to 500 MWe from nuclear waste

Advanced nuclear systems cooled by liquid metals and molten salts are set to operate under a single engineering program following an asset sale in the sector. Nuclea Energy, a developer of lead-cooled microreactors, has reached an all-cash agreement to buy the entire technology catalog of Moltex Energy. The deal is being conducted through Nuclea’s Canadian subsidiary after Moltex entered administration. It brings together two competing approaches to non-water reactor cooling: heavy liquid lead and fluoride or chloride salts. A central piece of the acquired portfolio addresses nuclear fuel chemistry rather than reactor hardware alone. Moltex developed a pyrochemical extraction method known as Waste to Stable Salt, or WATSS. Commercial nuclear stations leave significant residual energy in their spent fuel assemblies. The WATSS process extracts these transuranic actinides and blends them into liquid chloride salts, avoiding the creation of pure plutonium streams. Scientists confirmed the viability of this chemical separation during trials using actual irradiated fuel at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories under a framework with Canada’s nuclear regulator. Designed to power major asset This recycled chemical feedstock is designed to power the second major asset in the sale: the Stable Salt Reactor–Wasteburner (SSR-W). Most historical molten salt systems move radioactive fluids through pumps, valves, and external piping. The SSR-W alters this arrangement by locking its molten fuel salt inside stationary tubes submerged in an unpressurized pool of separate coolant salt. Because the core operates on a fast-neutron spectrum, high-energy collisions split the long-lived actinides extracted by the WATSS process. The design targets an electrical output between 300 and 500 megawatts while relying on natural convection currents to bleed away decay heat without emergency electrical power. The acquisition also adds a thermal-neutron system called the FLEX reactor. Unlike the fast-spectrum Wasteburner, the FLEX design uses solid graphite blocks to slow down neutrons and runs on low-enriched uranium fuel salt held in identical static pins. It produces coolant temperatures around 750 degrees Celsius (1,382 degrees Fahrenheit), matching the thermal requirements for synthetic fuel synthesis and heavy manufacturing. Complementing Morpheus microreactor These additions complement Nuclea’s flagship project, the Morpheus microreactor. Morpheus uses molten lead coolant and a graphite moderator to supply between 3.5 and 50 megawatts of electricity. Molten lead provides high thermal capacity at atmospheric pressure, making the reactor compact enough to assemble entirely within a factory and ship by truck to remote mining operations, island grids, or defense sites. The agreement transfers 80 granted patents spanning nine technical categories, as well as nine pending patents focused on fuel reprocessing. These concepts were refined over more than a decade through collaborative research with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, and Ontario Power Generation. Because Moltex is in administration, the assets are being sold without extensive seller warranties. Closing the purchase depends on statutory screening under the United Kingdom’s National Security and Investment Act, alongside consents already granted by Canadian federal and regional economic programs. The companies have set a three-month deadline to satisfy these terms.Get the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.An active and versatile journalist and news editor. He has covered regular and breaking news for several leading publications and news media, including The Hindu, Economic Times, Tomorrow Makers, and many more. Aman holds expertise in politics, travel, and tech news, especially in AI, advanced algorithms, and blockchain, with a strong curiosity about all things that fall under science and tech.