Wednesday, 5 February 2025
Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp said land has been offered to the four companies to build their small modular reactors (SMRs) at the site, with an application already started for an Early Site Permit with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The proposed site is projected to accommodate multiple SMRs with a combined electrical output of more than one gigawatt.
The university said the companies “will work toward bringing commercial-ready technologies to the System land and using the project to test the latest prototypes. The first reactors could be constructed within five years”. Once completed, power generated could supply power to the Texas grid.
A key aim of the project – called the Energy Proving Ground – is to create a world-leading base for nuclear science, with vice chancellor for research, Joe Elabd, saying there was the opportunity to “change the energy landscape for the whole country” with the site allowing the four companies “to safely test their SMRs and set the stage for deploying small nuclear reactors across the country”.
At an event to announce the initiative it was said that the aim was to bring the mindset of the Texas oil industry in terms of speed of delivery, and the goal was to have the first SMRs up and running within five years.
Kairos Power CEO Mike Laufer said they could bring a number of their Fluoride Salt-Cooled High-Temperature Reactors to the site: “We are excited about the momentum for new nuclear deployment at Texas A&M-RELLIS and its potential to support US energy security and continued economic growth. We look forward to collaborating with the Texas A&M System to advance Kairos Power’s clean energy mission and play a new role in developing the nation’s future nuclear workforce.”
Terrestrial Energy plans to site an Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR) at the site, which is nine miles west of Texas A&M University in College Station. CEO Simon Irish said the partnership was “an important strategic relationship to showcase the commercial potential of our small modular power plant and its advanced nuclear technology … siting an IMSR plant at the RELLIS campus leverages the Texas A&M System’s world-class research and nuclear engineering capabilities, will supply clean, firm electricity for the local grid, and position Texas as a leader in America’s nuclear technology sector”.
Natura Resources CEO Douglass Robison, whose company had collaborated with the university already, said the project could showcase how its Molten Salt Reactor technology could equip Texas “with the tools to meet its energy and water needs for decades to come. We are thrilled to continue this partnership with the Texas A&M System to deploy our commercial system, the Natura MSR-100, on the Texas A&M-RELLIS campus.”
Aalo Atomics is aiming to develop a 30 MWth sodium-cooled microreactor within the next few years. Its CEO Matt Loszak said: “This collaboration is a pivotal step for Aalo as it provides us with a platform to demonstrate the potential of our factory mass-manufactured nuclear technology to deliver reliable, clean energy that will ultimately power the next generation of data centers and AI infrastructure.”
The Texas A&M University System has a network of 11 universities across Texas and educates more than 157,000 students each year.
