Terrestrial Energy, developer of the Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR), has completed its corporate reorganisation to move its business in the US. It was previously based in Canada. “This aligns Terrestrial Energy with its largest market, commercial partners, and principal shareholders,” the company said. It has subsidiary operations in Oakville, Ontario; Calgary, Alberta; and Oxford, United Kingdom.
Following the reorganisation, Charles Pardee joined the Company’s Board of Directors as an independent director. He also serves on the boards of Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation and Xcel Energy. Previously he was Chief Operating Officer of Tennessee Valley Authority and Exelon Generation.
The IMSR plant delivers reliable zero-carbon heat and electric power. With its small and modular plant format, it is deployable to support distributed generation located at, or near, points of industry demand. Its potential includes the ability to meet the rapid power growth for data centre expansion to commercialize AI. The IMSR is also an effective, clean and cost-efficient replacement for coal plants in many states.
The IMSR is a 442 MWt per Core-unit (IMSR400) small modular molten salt fuelled, graphite moderated, thermal spectrum reactor. Terrestrial Energy has developed a two-unit configuration which can deliver 884 MWt/390 MWe. The design features a completely sealed reactor vessel with integrated pumps, heat exchangers and shutdown rods all mounted inside a single vessel.
The sealed Core-unit is replaced completely at the end of its useful service life (nominally seven years). This allows factory production levels of quality control and economy, while avoiding any need to open and service the reactor vessel at the power plant site. The IMSR400 achieves the highest levels of inherent safety as it does not depend on operator intervention, powered mechanical components, coolant injection or their support systems such as electricity supply or instrument air in dealing with upset conditions. It operates at the high temperature required for broad industrial relevance It is designed to use standard assay Low Enriched Uranium fuel.
In June, Terrestrial Energy joined the Texas Nuclear Alliance as a founding member. The Alliance’s mission is to strengthen the nuclear value chain in the state, advocate for the deployment of nuclear energy technology to meet the state’s growing energy needs, and respond to the establishment in 2023 by Texas Governor Gregg Abbott of a working group to advise on policy for the development and deployment of advanced nuclear reactors in Texas.
