World’s first fast molten salt nuclear reactor gets first fuel

Researchers at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) have produced the first full-scale batch of enriched chloride-based molten salt fuel for the world’s first fast-spectrum molten salt reactor, the Molten Chloride Reactor Experiment (MCRE). This marks a historic milestone as it is the first time such fuel has been made for a fast reactor. A key breakthrough in 2024 enabled the conversion of 95% of uranium metal into uranium chloride within hours, drastically reducing production time from over a week to about a day. The facility aims to produce up to 75 batches, with the first batch completed in September 2023 and four more planned by March 2026. The MCRE project, supported by the US Department of Energy and private industry, represents a major push toward next-generation nuclear technology, focusing on molten salt reactors that use liquid fuel salts instead of solid fuel rods and water cooling. This technology offers higher operating temperatures, improved fuel efficiency, and inherent safety benefits. Beyond land-based power generation,