
On the occasion of its 10th anniversary, the Molten Salt Reactor Workshop at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is not just looking back at a decade of achievements but also setting the stage for the next decade of innovation in the nuclear energy sector, this according to a recent article from ORNL. The event brought together an unprecedented number of participants from various disciplines, all converging on Knoxville, Tennessee, to push the envelope on molten salt reactor (MSR) technology.
With a remarkable attendance figure of 365, the workshop has become a focal point for not just brainstorming but actual interdisciplinary collaboration, where industry, academia, and government experts come together to propel MSR technology, which is seen as a prime candidate for the next generation of nuclear reactors due to their high efficiency and low-pressure operation, forward. Kevin Robb, ORNL’s Energy Systems Development group leader and General Conference Chair, underscored the importance of translating research into practical solutions, pointing out that "The workshop cultivates partnerships and innovations that are driving MSRs forward, reflecting ORNL’s mission to deliver scientific discoveries and technical breakthroughs," in a statement obtained by ORNL News.
Among the key attractions of the workshop were the state-of-the-art developments shared by leading researchers and engineers, updates from 12 MSR developers on their reactor designs, and rigorous panel discussions, the recent event was bursting with activity aimed at bringing MSRs closer to full-scale deployment. As experts navigated through virtual reality tours of ORNL's Molten Salt Reactor Experiment and visited the physical sites, the workshop underscored ORNL’s standing within MSR development history, a legacy dating back to the 1950s with the pioneering Aircraft Reactor Experiment and subsequent Molten Salt Reactor Experiment.
In his comments Rusty Towell, director of NEXT Lab at Abilene Christian University, reinforced the workshop's significance as "the premier conference for learning and networking with the MSR community," which he shared in a statement obtained by ORNL News. October 2024 marked a milestone development with Kairos Power commencing construction of its Hermes demonstration reactor near ORNL, blessing the region and the industry with a tangible step toward harnessing the potential of MSRs, the Hermes reactor is among the first to employ molten fluoride salt as a coolant.
Molten salt reactors continue to carve a niche as a promising answer to the quest for safer, more efficient nuclear power. With the conclusion of this year’s installment of the ORNL Molten Salt Reactor Workshop, the groundwork is laid for yet another productive decade which will see MSRs potentially transforming the nuclear energy landscape. The Office of Science under the Department of Energy, known for being the largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the US, continues to back these pivotal initiatives that could address some of the most daunting energy challenges of our times.