Abilene Christian University is set to receive high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) for nuclear research from the U. S. Department of Energy.
The fuel will help support the university’s Nuclear Energy eXperimental Testing (NEXT) Lab in developing a “next-generation molten salt reactor,” according to a press release.
ACU said its research reactor will be the first deployment of a 1-megawatt thermal molten salt reactor system called the Natura MSR-1 and having access to HALEU is vital for the project’s design and testing.
The DOE is expected to finalize the contracting process and possibly even deliver HALEU by the end of the year.
The allocation of HALEU comes after the DOE named ACU’s partner, Natura Resources, as one of 11 projects across the nation to participate in the Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program. This program was created to speed up the development and deployment of advanced nuclear reactors by next year.
The university states these announcements help support the its position as a key contributor to nuclear energy innovation.
“ACU is grateful to the Department of Energy and Secretary Wright for their leadership in advancing America’s nuclear energy future, and we deeply appreciate Congressman Jodey Arrington, Senator John Cornyn and Senator Ted Cruz for their continued support of our groundbreaking nuclear research,” said ACU president Dr. Phil Schubert. “This access to fuel enables ACU and our partners at Natura Resources to take the critical next steps in designing and testing advanced nuclear technology – paving the way for safe, clean and reliable energy while creating extraordinary opportunities for our students and faculty to contribute to innovative research with global impact and strengthening our nation’s energy security.”
ACU’s project has also gained a large support at the state level as the 89th Texas legislature recently approved $120 million in its budget to benefit the NEXT Lab and Natura partnership, in conjunction with Texas Tech University and the Texas Produced Water Consortium.