Denmark-based, Copenhagen Atomics is racing to develop a molten salt reactor (MSR) – one of several next generation (Gen IV) nuclear reactor designs under development today. Similar to light-water reactors (LWR), MSRs use nuclear fission to generate heat. However, instead of using water for coolant, MSRs use liquid fluoride or chloride salt mixtures (aka salt). For its reactor development, the startup is pursuing a “hardware-driven iterative component-by-component approach” (instead of a full design license & approval). Currently, the company is developing & testing related valves, pumps, heat exchangers, measurement systems, salt chemistry & purification systems, as well as control systems & software. It’s worth noting that some of the firm’s tech is already commercially available including pumped molten salt loops for use in MSR research, as well as highly purified salts for high temperature concentrated solar power & molten salt energy storage. Founded in 2014 by Thomas Steenberg (CEO), Aslak Stubsgaard (CTO), Thomas Jam Pedersen (CSO) & Peter Szabo (CFO), Copenhagen Atomics aims to launch its maiden commercial MSR by 2028. To that effect, it recently submitted a Generic Design Assessment (GDA) to the UK Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) (the first startup to do so, after majors Rolls-Royce & GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy submitted their MSR GDAs last year). According to mgmt., Copenhagen Atomic’s MSR could produce electricity at a “very competitive” price point >£40 per MWh (for comparison, LWRs tend to produce electricity at £50-70 per MWh). So is nuclear energy the next boom market? certainly, European startups like Copenhagen Atomics – as well as Seaborg Technologies (DK) (€25m), LeadCold (SE) (€18m), Transmutex (CH) (€15m) & NewCleo (UK) (<€400m) – are increasingly catching investors’ attention. <Sources: energinyheter.se, oresundstartups.com, prsync.com, imrmarketreports.com, cityam.com, nucnet.org>
