This French and Dutch company, Thorizon, is bringing a new perspective to Europe by converting nuclear waste into clean energy. According to the company, Thorizon One is a small molten salt reactor that can produce 100 megawatts of energy and keep 250,000 homes supplied for over 40 years.
Most nuclear plants are not able to get rid of their radioactive waste quickly, as it takes thousands of years for it to become harmless. In contrast, the MSR at Thorizon will reuse what remains after burning nuclear fuel, which still stores around 90% of its energy and is safer and more common than other elements. The idea with this process is to get rid of long-lived nuclear waste and also to produce affordable and reliable energy.
The molten salt reactor uses cartridges, so once the cylinders with nuclear materials are consumed, they can be replaced with similar ones. Salt vaults run at very hot temperatures yet low pressure, improving safety; when any malfunction happens, the salt solidifies, holding the radioactive materials within.
With a fresh €20 million, Thorizon has raised €42.5 million in total, helping it advance quickly in developing its tools and scale its business. Thorizon One will help its first clients in chemical creation and hydrogen creation by supplying 250 MW of heat, and its total output can be scaled between 50 and 300 MW of energy.
Since experts predict Europe’s nuclear waste can supply power for more than 40 years, what Thorizon is doing is set to transform the way the world creates energy. According to ThorParc’s CEO Kiki Lauwers, Thorizon One resolves the challenge of nuclear fuel by turning something costly into something valuable.
