Startup pursuing molten-salt nuclear reactor gains private funding
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.029507
MIT Technology Review : Terrestrial Energy, a Canadian startup company, has received $7 million in funding from private investors. The company was founded by David LeBlanc, formerly of Carleton University in Ottawa. LeBlanc is an expert in molten salt reactors, which were first developed in the 1960s at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Molten salt reactors differ from traditional nuclear fission reactors in that they use a molten fluid as both the fuel and the coolant. Not only is a molten salt reactor cheaper to build, but because the reactor’s core is already liquid, it can’t experience a meltdown. The investment from the private sector may be a sign that advanced nuclear fission reactor technology is becoming less dependent upon government funding.