U.S. Department of Energy Funding Accelerates World-First Molten Chloride Reactor Experiment
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.
| Read the full announcement to learn more about the study and what it could mean for the future of floating nuclear energy. |
