Danish firm's 100 MW thorium molten salt reactors get funding boost

Danish company Copenhagen Atomics has received a significant funding boost from the European Innovation Council (EIC), securing a $3 million grant and access to $17 million in potential equity to advance its thorium molten salt reactor (MSR) technology. Their innovative "Onion Core" design features a compact, containerized reactor engineered for factory mass production, aiming to deliver scalable, clean energy globally. Operating at atmospheric pressure with thorium-based liquid fuel and heavy water moderation, each 100 MWth unit can also utilize recycled nuclear waste, addressing both energy production and long-term nuclear waste management challenges. The company has made notable progress, having built and tested two full-scale non-fission prototypes and key components that have accumulated over 10,000 operating days. The new funding will support the construction of a third prototype and preparation for the first nuclear fission test in partnership with Switzerland’s Paul Scherrer Institute. Copenhagen Atomics plans to have its first commercial reactor operational by 2028, with a