Moltex receives funding from Canadian nuclear laboratories to progress fuel development

Saint John, NB – Moltex Energy is pleased to announce they have entered into a partnership with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), Canada’s premier nuclear science and technology organization. This project, funded through CNL’s Canadian Nuclear Research Initiative (CNRI), will support aspects of Moltex Energy’s nuclear fuel development program for its Stable Salt Reactor.

Rory O’Sullivan, CEO for North America at Moltex Energy, said, “This is positive news and will advance our project in Canada. Nuclear power is essential to address our global energy issues as intermittent renewables alone cannot meet the current and future demand. Many countries around the world have stores of used nuclear fuel from their current nuclear plants and we have discovered a clean, safe and economical way to recycle what some consider waste into a fuel for our Stable Salt Reactor to create more clean energy and significantly reduce the amount of long-lived radio-nuclides.”  

“I’m pleased to see this partnership between CNL and Moltex Energy and moving SMR technology another step forward,” said the Honourable Mike Holland, Minister of Natural Resources and Energy Development for the Government of New Brunswick. “Our Government believes in SMR technology and the tremendous potential it can bring to our economy and to the green energy landscape around the world.”   

“Advanced nuclear reactor and SMR technology can play an important role in providing clean non-carbon emitting energy in Canada, and safe sustainable management of fuel waste is an important part of that,” said Robin Manley, VP New Nuclear Development at OPG. “The collaboration between CNL and Moltex Energy will support this research.”  

The program will support the second and third phases of the Oxide Nuclear WAste Reduction Demonstration (ONWARD) project to explore the commercial viability of the WAste To Stable Salts (WATSS) technology to convert spent CANDU fuel into new fuel that can produce more clean energy from a Stable Salt Reactor. The first phase is already in progress.  

Under the proposed CNRI project, Moltex Energy, the University of New Brunswick and CNL will design, build and optimize the test apparatus used to process the used fuel. In parallel, complementary activities will be carried out at the University of Manchester in the UK. The data collected will support the design and licensing of a WATSS facility at Point Lepreau in New Brunswick for NB Power. As managers of spent fuel in Canada, New Brunswick Power and Ontario Power Generation will be involvedin the project to provide advice and guidance.  

There are more than 2.8 million used nuclear fuel bundles in Canada with 90,000 added each year. The successful commercialization of the WATSS process will allow Canada to convert this waste to a new fuel source to create low carbon clean energy, while reducing the existing liability.      

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Media Contact:
Tracey Stephenson
Lynwood Strategies
Tracey@lynwoodstrategies.ca
506.866.8516  

About Moltex Energy:

Moltex Energy is a privately held company striving to solve the world’s most critical challenge, providing safe, clean and affordable energy. The company has headquarters in the United Kingdom and New Brunswick and collaborates with other innovators and nuclear energy experts worldwide. The mission is to cost-effectively produce carbon-free electricity so that fossil fuels can stay in the ground.  

Moltex Energy is one of two companies that NB Power has selected to explore building Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) in New Brunswick. Moltex has developed a first-of-its-kind technology to build a better nuclear reactor that will safely, cleanly and economically solve global energy issues and power the planet in the 21st century. The workforce, along with the existing nuclear generating station and a supportive government, make New Brunswick an ideal location to build this technology.

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