Terrestrial Energy develops the Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR), a small modular nuclear reactor that uses a molten‑salt coolant to deliver high‑temperature, carbon‑free heat and electricity.
Funding
$25.8M raised to dateRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
Founders
Product
Problem
Industrial processes, power generation, and transportation rely heavily on high‑temperature heat produced by burning fossil fuels, leading to significant CO₂ emissions and air pollution. Existing nuclear technologies cannot economically provide the required heat temperatures or do so without complex, high‑pressure systems, limiting their suitability for widespread fossil‑fuel replacement.
Solution
Terrestrial Energy’s Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR) is a small modular reactor that uses a molten‑salt coolant to generate high‑temperature, carbon‑free heat and electricity. Operating at low pressure, the IMSR achieves up to 44 % electrical efficiency—about 50 % higher than conventional nuclear plants—while producing less radioactive waste. The reactor’s modular design enables construction in under four years, supporting rapid deployment of cogeneration plants that can replace fossil‑fuel heat in manufacturing, power generation, and transportation sectors.
Target Audience
Primary customers are large‑scale industrial manufacturers, utility companies, and transportation fuel producers seeking to replace fossil‑fuel heat with a reliable, low‑carbon energy source.
Features
- Molten‑salt coolant provides superior heat transfer, allowing safe operation at temperatures higher than water‑cooled reactors.
- Low‑pressure system eliminates the need for complex, high‑pressure cooling infrastructure, reducing capital and operating costs.
- Small modular reactor (SMR) architecture enables factory fabrication and on‑site assembly, targeting construction timelines of less than four years.
- Integrated cogeneration capability delivers both high‑temperature process heat and electricity from a single plant.
- Enriched uranium fuel meets current nuclear safety and security standards while generating less long‑lived waste than traditional reactors.
- Designed for 44 % electrical efficiency, matching the thermal efficiency of modern coal plants without associated emissions.