Idaho Lab Produces World's First Molten Salt Fuel for Nuclear Reactors

America's Energy Department runs a research lab in Idaho — and this week announced successful results from a ground-breaking experiment. 'This is the first time in history that chloride-based molten salt fuel has been produced for a fast reactor,' says Bill Phillips, the lab's technical lead for salt synthesis. He calls it 'a major milestone for American innovation and a clear signal of our national commitment to advanced nuclear energy.'

Unlike traditional reactors that use solid fuel rods and water as a coolant, most molten salt reactors rely on liquid fuel — a mixture of salts containing fissile material. This design allows for higher operating temperatures, better fuel efficiency, and enhanced safety. It also opens the door to new applications, including compact nuclear systems for ships and remote installations.

'The Molten Chloride Fast Reactor represents a paradigm shift in the nuclear fuel cycle, and the Molten Chloride Reactor Experiment (MCRE) will directly inform the commercialization of that reactor,' said Jeff Latkowski, senior vice president of TerraPower and program director for the Molten Chloride Fast Reactor. 'Working with world-leading organizations such as INL to successfully synthesize this unique new fuel demonstrates how real progress in Gen IV nuclear is being made together.'

'The implications for the maritime industry are significant,' said Don Wood, senior technical advisor for MCRE. 'Molten salt reactors could provide ships with highly efficient, low-maintenance nuclear power, reducing emissions and enabling long-range, uninterrupted travel. The technology could spark the rise of a new nuclear sector — one that is mobile, scalable and globally transformative.

More details from America's Energy Department:

MCRE will require a total of 72 to 75 batches of fuel salt to go critical, making it the largest fuel production effort at INL since the operations of Experimental Breeder Reactor-II more than 30 years ago. The full-scale demonstration of the new fuel salt synthesis line for MCRE was made possible by a breakthrough in 2024. After years of testing, the team found the right recipe to convert 95 percent of uranium metal feedstock into 18 kilograms of uranium chloride fuel salt in only a few hours — a process that previously took more than a week to complete...
After delivering the first batch of fuel salt this fall, the team anticipates delivering four additional batches by March of 2026. MCRE is anticipated to run in 2028 for approximately six months at INL in the Laboratory for Operation and Testing (LOTUS) in the United States test bed.
'With the first batch of fuel salt successfully created at INL, researchers will now conduct testing to better understand the physics of the process, with a goal of moving the process to a commercial scale over the next decade,' says Cowboy State Daily.

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