Thorium is a slightly radioactive element that is more than three times as abundant in the Earth’s crust as uranium. Although not fissile (capable of sustaining a nuclear chain reaction in the same way that uranium-235 does in a conventional nuclear reactor), it is ‘fertile’ – upon absorbing a neutron, it transmutes to fissile uranium-233 – so could be used to ‘breed’ uranium-233 in reactor fuel.
Ampera says it is developing subcritical thorium-based microreactor systems that are energy dense and do not require refuelling. Through its proprietary TRISO fuel platform, neutron-source technology and advanced additive manufacturing, it aims to deliver scalable, factory-built, rapidly deployable, emission-free power for data centres, defence, industrial and maritime applications.
In February, Ampera formed Ampera Australia Pty Ltd to expedite the procurement and import of thorium to the USA. This followed the October 2025 announcement by the governments of the USA and Australia of a framework for securing supply in the mining and processing of critical minerals and rare earths.
“Our strategy is to secure thorium directly at the source and vertically integrate the entire fuel value chain, from mineral supply through advanced fuel production,” said Ampera founder and CEO Brian Matthews. “Thorium offers a compelling combination of abundance, energy potential, economics, and safety, making it an ideal fuel for Ampera’s advanced microreactors and a promising resource for the broader nuclear industry.”
The company says its broad fuel platform is built on “proprietary processes protected by trade secrets and more than 60 patents for nuclear fuel manufacturing, including proprietary jetting technology used to produce high-quality safe tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) fuel kernels.”
“Thorium is the future for ultra-safe, clean power production,” Matthews said. “By producing TRISO thorium kernels in the United States, we can ensure ample access to the needed fuel supply as we scale up and also minimize price volatility risk.”
In February, Ampera submitted a formal letter to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission indicating its desire to begin the pre-application process for its factory-fabricated, containerised microreactor, and in April, it entered into a strategic collaboration with Monaco-based shipping company Scorpio Tankers Inc to jointly develop and commercialise advanced microreactors for marine, shipping and related maritime applications. The same month, Ampera opened its global headquarters in Florida. It has said it plans to produce TRISO thorium kernels at another location in the state.
