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ThorCon nuclear reactor

Artists impression of the TMSR-500 conceptual design The Thorcon nuclear reactor is a design of a molten salt reactor with a graphite moderator, currently proposed by the US-bas...

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Artists impression of the TMSR-500 conceptual design

The Thorcon nuclear reactor is a design of a molten salt reactor with a graphite moderator, currently proposed by the US-based Thorcon company. These nuclear reactors are designed as part of a floating power plant, to be manufactured on an assembly line in a shipyard, and to be delivered via barge to any ocean or major waterway shoreline, similar to the US's MH-1A from 1968 and the Russian Akademik Lomonosov operating since 2020.[1] The reactors are to be delivered as a sealed unit and never opened on site. All reactor maintenance and fuel processing are to be done at an off-site location. As of April 2025, no reactor of this type has been built.[2]

Design

Raw material flows and waste at a ThorCon fuel processing plant. Enriched uranium powers the cycle, but most of the energy comes from the more abundant thorium.[3]

ThorCon has proposed its power station to be closely based on the Molten-Salt Reactor Experiment in the 1960s, claiming that its design requires no new technology. The power station would contain two 250 MWe small modular reactors. The replaceable reactors are to be removed and replaced every four years. As molten salt reactors, they are designed for the use of fuel in liquid form, which also serves as primary coolant.[4] The fuel would be about 20% enriched uranium tetrafluoride and thorium tetrafluoride. The ThorCon design is a floating power station to be built in a shipyard and then towed to the location of operation.[5]

Company's claim about safety

Thorcon claims that this reactor design will be safer than traditional nuclear reactors. The design includes several features intended to prevent meltdowns, contain radioactive materials, and protect from terrorism and sabotage.

Potential prototype installation in Indonesia

P3Tek, an agency of the Indonesia Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, reviewed a 500 MW prototype thorium molten salt reactor design by ThorCon called the TMSR-500 in 2019.[6] (The TMSR-500 was later renamed the Thorcon 500.[2])

En 2023, la empresa inició una consulta previa a la obtención de la licencia con los reguladores indonesios para la instalación de un TMSR-500 en el país. [ 7 ] En 2025, la agencia reguladora indonesia aprobó un plan de evaluación del sitio y un plan del sistema de gestión de la evaluación del sitio para el reactor. Aún faltaba completar la licencia del sitio y la aprobación del diseño, pero la empresa afirmó que existía "el potencial de comenzar la construcción en 2027 y alcanzar la plena potencia para 2031". [ 2 ]

Véase también

Referencias

  1. ↑ Patel, Sonal (1 de febrero de 2023). "La energía nuclear flotante se beneficia de nuevas perspectivas" . Power Magazine .
  2. 1 2 3 "Aprobación regulatoria para el estudio del sitio en Indonesia" . World Nuclear News . 5 de agosto de 2025. Consultado el 20 de enero de 2026. Basado en tecnología desarrollada por el Laboratorio Nacional Oak Ridge del Departamento de Energía de EE. UU . en la década de 1960 [...] contará con el Thorcon 500, una central eléctrica de reactor de sales fundidas (MSR) de 500 MWe.
  3. ↑ Ciclo de combustible ThorCon
  4. ↑ Diseño .Página web de ThorCon (consultada en abril de 2022)
  5. ↑ Informe de situación – ThorCon (Thorcon US, Inc.) EE. UU./Indonesia ,22 de junio de 2020
  6. ↑ Waluyo, Agus; Khakim, Azizul (agosto de 2021). "Revisión del diseño del reactor de sales fundidas de torio 500 (TMSR-500)" . Organismo Internacional de Energía Atómica . págs. 140–145 . Consultado el 20 de enero de 2026. PT ThorCon denominó a su reactor Reactor de sales fundidas de torio 500 (TMSR 500). 
  7. ↑ "ThorCon inicia consultas previas a la concesión de licencias en Indonesia" . Noticias nucleares mundiales . 5 de abril de 2023.
  • Sitio web oficial de ThorCon