ABILENE, Texas — Abilene Christian University announced Tuesday that its Nuclear Energy eXperimental Testing Laboratory and Abilene-based Natura Resources have taken another step toward construction of one of the first advanced reactors in the United States. Zachry Nuclear Engineering has been selected to design the Natura Resources Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) that will be deployed on the ACU campus.
“Natura Resources is excited to partner with Zachry Nuclear for the detailed design engineering of our first Molten Salt Reactor system,” Douglass Robison, founder and president of Natura Resources, said. “In just over three years, this project, led by Natura Resources and our four university partners, has quickly become one of the leading advanced reactor projects in the country. Collaborating with Zachry, a company that will soon celebrate 100 years of engineering excellence, creates a one-of-a-kind working relationship that will further enhance this industry-leading project.”
ACU is the lead university in the Natura Resources Research Alliance, which also includes Georgia Institute of Technology, Texas A&M University and The University of Texas at Austin. The consortium’s goal is to design, license and build a university-based molten salt research reactor.
A construction permit application is under review with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and ACU has completed construction of the Science and Engineering Research Center, which will house NEXT Lab and the research reactor.
“The addition of Zachry Nuclear to the team is going to accelerate this project and help fulfill the NEXT Lab’s goal of providing global solutions to the world’s need for energy, water and medical isotopes by advancing the technology of molten salt reactors,” Dr. Rusty Towell, NEXT Lab director and Department of Engineering and Physics physics, said. “I’m confident Zachry is the partner we’ve been looking for to complete the detailed design engineering of the reactor. The signing of this contract with Zachry is another example of Natura Resources' ongoing commitment to the rapid deployment of an MSR on the campus of ACU.”
NEXT Lab places ACU students and faculty at the forefront of advancing the technology of molten salt reactors to provide less expensive energy, safer and abundant water and medical isotopes to diagnose and treat cancer.
ACU’s deployment of the Natura Resources MSR is on track to be one of the first advanced reactors licensed by the NRC.
This initial system at ACU will serve as a catalyst for Natura’s development of first-of-a-kind, safe, scalable nuclear reactors. Natura intends to deploy factory-built, modular reactors that fit on the back of a semi-trailer and can be shipped anywhere in the world. These reactors will produce firm, carbon-free energy with significantly less waste than conventional reactors because of the utilization of liquid fuel.
“We are excited to embark on this journey with Natura and support the advancement of the nuclear industry, an industry where we have a rich history,” John Zachry, Zachry Group chairman and CEO, said. “This significant opportunity allows us to play a crucial role in accelerating decarbonization efforts. It will allow us to leverage our nuclear engineering expertise and apply our construction-driven mindset to an exciting new technology that can lead us to a more sustainable future.”
