Argonne Lab will verify Transatomic Power molten fuel salt
The voucher, awarded through the DOE's Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) initiative, will experimentally verify the physical properties of the fuel salt for Transatomic's molten salt reactor technology, and will be conducted at the Argonne National Laboratory.
This is the second year that GAIN has awarded vouchers to support advanced nuclear technology, and builds on successful outcomes from the program's inaugural round. Last year, Transatomic was awarded a voucher for work at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, performing cutting-edge modelling and simulation analysis. This project has produced extensive positive results, published by ORNL in a Technical Memorandum in January 2017, and points to the value of public-private partnerships in nuclear technology development. "A primary measure of success for GAIN is the forging of productive relationships between the DOE laboratories and advanced technology developers like Transatomic," said Idaho National Laboratory's Dr. John Jackson, GAIN Technical Interface.
Transatomic's investors are also enthusiastic about the collaboration. "Transatomic continues to lead the way in advanced nuclear technology development," said Scott Nolan, partner at Founders Fund, one of Transatomic's major investors and a leading Silicon Valley venture capital firm. "Their technology is crucial in creating emissions-free US energy security in the decades ahead. We're excited to see Transatomic continuing to prove all the milestones on their roadmap."
Transatomic Power is validating and refining key elements of their system. In a couple of years they will begin the detailed design work.
