(The Center Square) – Entrepreneurs working with Texas universities are playing a key role in bringing nuclear energy to the Texas grid. Multiple projects are underway on several campuses, including at Abilene Christian University, Texas A&M’s RELLIS campus and the University of Texas-Austin and San Antonio.
A first Gen IV nuclear reactor will soon be operational on the ACU campus, making ACU the first in the country where nuclear energy will be produced.
Natura Resources is on track to deploy the first Gen IV nuclear reactor next year on the ACU campus. Its MSR-1 is the only liquid-fuel reactor design licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). It’s also only one of two Gen IV advanced nuclear reactor technologies cleared for construction by the NRC.
“We are leading the race to deploy the country’s first Gen IV nuclear reactor. With an NRC construction license, a completed reactor facility, a fuel commitment from the Department of Energy, support from the State of Texas, and our technology partners in place, we are on track for deployment of our MSR-1 reactor in 2026,” Natura Resources Founder and CEO Doug Robison said.
The DOE’s Idaho National Lab timeline for advanced reactor deployments projects Natura’s MSR-1 will be the first Gen IV reactor deployment in the U.S.
The MSR-1/MSR-100 is a cutting-edge small modular reactor (SMR), which uses liquid fuel dissolved in a molten salt mixture, operates at high temperature and low pressure to enhance safety and efficiency, uses several fuel types, and produces far less waste than conventional nuclear reactor designs, the company says.
The state legislature allocated $120 million to support the MSR-1 ACU project; Natura has secured $120 million in equity capital, it says. The System has been collaborating with Natura Resources for five years to develop the Natura MSR-1 demonstration system.
The Texas A&M University System is also advancing SMR production. It has offered land to four nuclear reactor companies to build SMRs. Kairos Power, Natura Resources, Terrestrial Energy and Aalo Atomics are collaborating with the System through its Energy Proving Ground project. They plan to develop commercial-ready technologies and test prototypes on the 2,400-acre technology and innovation RELLIS campus in Bryan, Texas. The RELLIS site is projected to accommodate multiple SMRs with a combined electrical output of more than one gigawatt.
The first reactors could be constructed within five years. Once completed, the project could supply power to Texas’ grid managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).
Kairos Power could bring one or more commercial deployments to the site, the A&M System said. Terrestrial Energy plans to develop Integral Molten Salt Reactor technology through the project. Aalo Atomics could build up to six Aalo Pods at the site, it says.
System officials have streamlined the regulatory process to allow the companies to quickly get their reactors operational and already began the NRC application process to develop commercial electrical and thermal power generation facilities.
“The agreements that the Texas A&M System has with Kairos, Natura, Terrestrial and Aalo are going to change the energy landscape for the whole country,” Joe Elabd, vice chancellor for research at the Texas A&M System, said. “The Energy Proving Ground will allow these companies to safely test their SMRs and set the stage for deploying small nuclear reactors across the country.”
Texas has a three- to five-year window to fill more than 10,000 advanced nuclear jobs for new nuclear power projects being developed statewide, UT’s Nuclear and Radiation Engineering Program explains. “This demand for talent – concentrated in construction trades, nuclear technicians, operational staff, and four-year technical graduates – far exceeds the capacity of current in-state education and training pipelines and requires years to develop,” it says in its new report, “Cultivating Homegrown Nuclear Talent in Texas.”
“Without targeted interventions, workforce constraints will become a bottleneck for deployment timelines and economic opportunity. To meet the speed and scale of the near-term demand for talent for these projects,” it recommends that employers directly invest in nuclear talent development; state agencies prioritize nuclear workforce initiatives and educational institutions expand their resources and programs.
Nuclear engineering and education programs have existed at Texas higher education institutions for more than 50 years. Programs are also expanding through high school STEM programs, homeschool and other programs to educate students about nuclear science. As nuclear energy expands in Texas so also will the need for skilled workers, which is why companies are partnering with educational institutions, they explain.
