Dutch agreement paves way for construction of commercial MSR

The MoU - signed by Thorizon, EPZ, NRG-Pallas, the provinces of Zeeland and North Holland, Impuls Zeeland, ROM InWest, and Invest-NL - increases the activities for the non-nuclear demonstrator in Zeeland, secures a site for the Thorizon Pioneer nuclear demonstrator at NRG-Pallas in Noord-Holland, and advances the validation of a site for Thorizon One, the first commercial molten salt reactor (MSR), in Zeeland.

The MoU sets out three milestones: construction of a non-nuclear molten salt test facility and the launch of the Thorizon PILOT programme in Zeeland, together with Schelde Exotech and in Noord-Brabant, together with VDL Groep, by 2027; construction of the Thorizon Pioneer nuclear demonstrator at Petten, Noord-Holland, by 2028; and construction of Thorizon One, a 100 MWe first commercial molten salt reactor in Zeeland by 2034.

In the MoU, NRG-Pallas has expressed its intention to assist Thorizon in realising the nuclear demonstrator and to jointly commission it. The Thorizon Pioneer is part of Thorizon's roadmap to industrialise molten salt reactors (MSRs). The facility will be a smaller, non-commercial version of the Thorizon reactor focused on validating the reactor core without electricity production. The Thorizon Pioneer will be the first nuclear molten salt installation operating in Europe, providing unique opportunities for research and development. NRG-Pallas intends to become its owner, licensee and operator of the Thorizon Pioneer.

"The establishment of the Thorizon demonstration reactor at the Energy & Health Campus (EHC) in Petten represents a significant boost to the development of the campus as an international centre for nuclear innovation," NRG-Pallas said. "The combination of research facilities, medical isotope production, and next-generation reactor development creates a unique ecosystem where knowledge development, testing, and application converge."

Thorizon has together with EPZ - operator of the Netherlands' only commercial nuclear power plant at Borssele - completed a pre-feasibility assessment validating the suitability of the Borssele site and EPZ has joined this coalition to investigate becoming the owner, licensee and operator of the Thorizon One.

Thorizon said the Provinces of Zeeland and Noord-Holland are "committed to supporting permitting and licensing and to actively engaging stakeholders in their regions". Regional development agencies Impuls Zeeland and ROM InWest have both expressed their intention to co-invest directly in Thorizon, alongside their role in anchoring the roadmap in the economic ecosystem of their respective regions. Invest-NL, which has supported Thorizon since 2022, reaffirms its intention to continue financial backing into "this next and decisive phase of development".

Thorizon, together with its partners, will pursue European Investment Bank financing for Thorizon One and Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) support for the Pioneer demonstrator, alongside private co-investment from new strategic investors. "Cumulative investment in the roadmap is expected to grow to over one billion euros, creating thousands of high-skilled jobs and establishing the Netherlands as Europe's leading hub for advanced nuclear manufacturing and innovation," Thorizon said.

"Securing a site for the demonstrator, alongside strong progress toward the first commercial reactor in Zeeland, marks a defining milestone for Thorizon," said Kiki Lauwers, CEO of Thorizon. "With NRG-Pallas in Petten and EPZ in Borssele, we have two outstanding partners. This coalition gives us the foundation to move from development into deployment. We are grateful to all parties for their commitment and we look forward to making the first molten salt reactor in Europe a reality together."

EPZ CEO Marco Muilenburg added: "EPZ has operated the Borssele site for over 50 years and is committed to playing a key role in the future of nuclear energy in the Netherlands. We look forward to exploring what a first-of-a-kind molten salt reactor at our site/in Zeeland could mean for our region, our country and the energy transition."

"NRG-Pallas has been a leader in applied research into molten salt technology for years, and we are proud that Thorizon has emerged as a spin-off from our organisation," said NRG-Pallas CEO Maurits Wolleswinkel. "We are excited that we can now provide an opportunity to leverage our nuclear infrastructure and broad expertise to realise the Thorizon Pioneer demonstrator at the Energy & Health Campus and contribute to CO2-free energy with minimum nuclear waste."

MSRs use molten fluoride salts as primary coolant, at low pressure. They may operate with epithermal or fast neutron spectrums, and with a variety of fuels. Much of the interest today in reviving the MSR concept relates to using thorium (to breed fissile uranium-233), where an initial source of fissile material such as plutonium-239 needs to be provided.

Thorizon is developing a 250 MWt/100 MWe molten salt reactor, targeted at large industrial customers and utilities. The molten salt fuel adopted by Thorizon uses a combination of long-lived elements from reprocessed used nuclear fuel and thorium. The reactor will be able to recycle long-lived waste from existing nuclear facilities. The Thorizon One concept is unique in that the core is composed of a set of cartridges that is replaced every five to ten years. This, the company says, overcomes two molten salt design obstacles: material corrosion and handling of used fuel volumes.