Current:Home > NewsUS nuclear regulators to issue construction permit for a reactor that uses molten salt -Insightful Finance Hub
US nuclear regulators to issue construction permit for a reactor that uses molten salt
View
Date:2025-04-17 14:34:52
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is issuing a construction permit for a new type of nuclear reactor that uses molten salt to cool the reactor core.
The NRC is issuing the permit to Kairos Power for the Hermes test reactor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, the agency said Tuesday. The reactor won’t generate generate electricity and it will be far smaller than traditional ones.
This is the first construction permit the NRC has issued for a reactor that uses something other than water to cool the reactor core. The United States Atomic Energy Commission, the predecessor to the NRC, did license other types of designs.
Kairos Power is working on fluoride salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor technology. The California-based company received funding from the Department of Energy. The 35-megawatt thermal reactor will test the concept of using molten salt as a coolant and test the type of nuclear fuel, the NRC said.
Kairos Power aims to develop a larger version for commercial electricity that could be used in the early 2030s. It says the construction permit is a big step forward as it works to deploy clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy.
The global nuclear industry launched an initiative at this year’s U.N. climate talks for nations to pledge to triple nuclear energy by 2050. More than 20 have already signed on, including the United States and the host of COP28, the United Arab Emirates.
The NRC has certified one small modular nuclear reactor design for use anywhere in the United States, a light-water reactor by Oregon-based NuScale Power.
Kairos Power took a different approach and asked the NRC for permission to build its test reactor only at the Oak Ridge site. It still needs an operating license. It applied for a second construction permit for a larger version, a two-unit demonstration plant, also at Oak Ridge.
The NRC is expecting at least two more applications next year for construction permits from other companies working on small modular reactors or advanced designs.
Critics say it would be safer to use other low-carbon technologies to address climate change, such as solar and wind power.
___
Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
veryGood! (67722)
Related
- Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
- LL Flooring, formerly Lumber Liquidators, is going out of business and closing all of its stores
- Here’s What Leah Remini and Angelo Pagán Are Seeking in Their Divorce
- Amazon says in a federal lawsuit that the NLRB’s structure is unconstitutional
- NHL in ASL returns, delivering American Sign Language analysis for Deaf community at Winter Classic
- A Navy officer is demoted after sneaking a satellite dish onto a warship to get the internet
- Police have upped their use of Maine’s ‘yellow flag’ law since the state’s deadliest mass shooting
- S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq post largest weekly percentage loss in years after weak jobs data
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- Police have upped their use of Maine’s ‘yellow flag’ law since the state’s deadliest mass shooting
Ranking
- Woman dies after Singapore family of 3 gets into accident in Taiwan
- Get 50% Off BareMinerals 16-Hour Powder Foundation & More Sephora Deals on Anastasia Beverly Hills
- A parent's guide to 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice': Is it appropriate for kids?
- Apalachee High School shooting suspect and father appear in court: Live updates
- Sarah J. Maas books explained: How to read 'ACOTAR,' 'Throne of Glass' in order.
- Woman who fell trying to escape supermarket shooting prayed as people rushed past to escape
- Abortion rights supporters in South Dakota blast state’s video of abortion laws
- 'Wrong from start to finish': PlayStation pulling Concord game 2 weeks after launch
Recommendation
'Kraven the Hunter' spoilers! Let's dig into that twisty ending, supervillain reveal
Hundreds of places in the US said racism was a public health crisis. What’s changed?
Walz says Gaza demonstrators are protesting for ‘all the right reasons’ while condemning Hamas
Forced to choose how to die, South Carolina inmate lets lawyer pick lethal injection
Dick Vitale announces he is cancer free: 'Santa Claus came early'
You Have 1 Day To Get 50% Off the Viral Peter Thomas Roth Firmx Exfoliating Peeling Gel & More Ulta Deals
The former Uvalde schools police chief asks a judge to throw out the charges against him
Man charged with plotting shooting at a New York Jewish center on anniversary of Oct. 7 Hamas attack