A 1-megawatt thermal liquid-fueled molten salt reactor at Abilene Christian University. It is the first liquid-fueled reactor design to receive a U.S. NRC construction permit.
PilotStage 3 of 5
Construction permit issued September 2024. FLiBE coolant salt delivered September 2026 from DOE.
Updated 23d ago·Checked 10 Oct·0 updates this week
Milestones
Next · Reactor criticality and operation
Founded and research alliance formed2019Complete.
Design work begins with Texas universities2021Complete.
NRC construction permit application submitted2023Complete.
NRC construction permit issued16 Sep 2024Complete.
FLiBE coolant salt arrives from DOE18 Sep 2026Complete.
Reactor criticality and operationTarget Q2 2027Not yet reached.
2029Commercial MSR-100 deployment at industrial sites
Current obstacles
Regulatory precedent for liquid-fuel operationNRC reviewers had no modern precedent for certifying a liquid-fueled reactor. Natura worked with the regulator to build the standard.
Materials that survive molten salt at scaleLong-term corrosion in molten salt at reactor size is not fully proven. Lab testing exists, but full-scale operation will be the real test.
Physics limits
Salt chemistry is not flexibleFLiBe has a narrow operating window. Too cold and it solidifies; too hot and it damages materials. Operating temperature must be precisely controlled.
Materials science is the bottleneckNo common structural metal survives molten fluoride salt for decades. Research into nickel alloys and graphite-reinforced composites is ongoing but slow.
How it works
3 parts
Fuel salt
Uranium mixed into molten salt
Instead of fuel rods, uranium is dissolved in fluoride salt. This eliminates solid fuel assembly complexity.
Cooling
Salt carries heat to the turbine
The fuel salt loops through a heat exchanger to transfer heat to a secondary salt circuit, which drives the turbine.
Temperature
High heat for industrial use
At 585°C the reactor can supply heat for hydrogen production, desalination or materials processing, not just electricity.
Spec sheet
Spec
MSR-1
Thermal power
1 MWtR (reported)
Operating temperature
585°CR (reported)
Location
Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TXR (reported)
Natura Resources develops liquid-fueled molten salt reactors for electricity and industrial heat. MSR-1 at Abilene Christian University was the first liquid-fuel reactor to receive a U.S. NRC construction permit.
Natura secured $240M in total funding: $120M private and $120M from Texas via appropriation.
MSR-1 at Abilene Christian University received its NRC construction permit, a first for liquid-fueled reactors in the U.S.
Natura is partnering with NOV to deploy gigawatts of SMRs for data centers and industry between 2029 and 2032.
