EnergySolutions signs agreement for location of small nuclear reactors
EnergySolutions, a Salt Lake City-based nuclear energy services company, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Canadian small modular nuclear reactor developer Terrestrial Energy to collaborate on the siting and deployment of integral molten salt reactor (IMSR) plants at EnergySolutions-owned sites.
The integral molten salt reactor is a nuclear power plant design targeted at developing a commercial product for the small modular reactor (SMR) market. It employs Terrestrial Energy’s proprietary technology that is based closely on the denatured molten salt reactor originally developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. The reactors generate low-cost, clean and reliable industrial heat and electric power. IMSR plants’ thermal and electric power supply systems can be customized to meet specific site demand requirements, enabling them to support distributed generation for chemical, oil and gas, petrochemical, data centers and other energy-intensive industrial activities.
EnergySolutions specializes in the safe transportation, processing, recycling and disposal of radioactive materials, serving clients across the United States, Canada, Asia and Europe. The company’s services encompass decommissioning and decontamination of nuclear facilities, management of spent nuclear fuel and environmental remediation. The company operates licensed disposal sites, notably in Clive, Utah, and Barnwell County, South Carolina.
In June 2023, EnergySolutions announced a study of former nuclear sites acquired by the company to determine potential locations for new nuclear generation. Terrestrial Energy and EnergySolutions have assessed these sites in North America as potential locations for IMSR plants to benefit from accelerated deployment schedules. Under the terms of the MOU, the parties have agreed to evaluate these sites and select the most suitable.
“This year we have observed a rapid increase in anticipated demand growth for clean, firm heat and power driven by significant load-growth from key sectors, such as data centers supporting AI operations and industrials seeking distributed clean energy solutions to achieve their strategic goals,” said Ken Robuck, CEO of EnergySolutions. “Terrestrial Energy’s IMSR plant is uniquely positioned to meet this growing demand at a time when small and modular nuclear power plants, leveraging advanced reactor technologies, are now in the spotlight as high-performance and transformative supply solutions.”
“EnergySolutions has a portfolio of sites and deep expertise to support the regulatory actions necessary for site selection and deployment of IMSR plants,” said Simon Irish, CEO of Terrestrial Energy. “We look forward to collaborating with EnergySolutions and other project consortium parties, including those interested in offtake agreements for clean, firm power and heat at gigawatt-scale, as well as project partnerships with state and federal governments.”
“Big Tech companies, including Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Oracle, Nvidia and others, have recently announced intentions to use nuclear power in future operations,” EnergySolutions said in a release. “Nuclear power is the only source at the necessary multi-gigawatt scale that can supply clean, firm, reliable, low-cost heat and power, 24/7, an essential requirement to industry.”