An innovative nuclear reactor technology is being deployed at Abilene Christian University in Texas to address both energy and water supply issues. A liquid-fueled molten salt reactor (MSR) developed by Natura Resources LLC is currently under construction at the site to desalinate water and simultaneously generate carbon-free electricity.

Each module of the small modular reactor can deliver up to 300 MWe of energy and has advanced safety features. Molten salts serve as both fuel and coolant: a mixture of lithium fluoride and beryllium fluoride salts or thorium fluoride salts can be used, enabling the reactor to operate at temperatures higher than solid-fuel reactors. As the fission products dissolve in the fuel salt, the fuel/coolant is continuously removed and replaced with fresh fissile elements, preventing conditions that could lead to reactor meltdown.

A primary heat removal system in the MSR ensures that heat generated during the fission process is also removed through a cooling loop. The recovered heat can be exploited for other applications, such as water desalination. Operating at 1,112° F (600° C), up to 250 MW of clean energy is generated, which can be used for desalination.

Natura Resources is also partnering with the Texas Produced Water Consortium at Texas Tech University to explore use of this MSR technology to supply freshwater and power the Permian Basin oil and gas industry.