The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has formally accepted the construction permit for Abilene Christian University’s Nuclear Energy eXperimental Testing Lab (NEXT Lab) to build its Molten Salt Research Reactor (MSRR). This is the first application for a new research reactor in over 30 years and the first for an advanced university research reactor. The NRC will now conduct a detailed safety and environmental review of the MSRR, which is the only liquid-fueled reactor and one of only two advanced nuclear reactors currently under review by the NRC. The MSRR, developed by ACU in collaboration with the NEXT Research Alliance (NEXTRA), is designed to be a 1MWt, fluoride-based, liquid-fueled molten salt reactor. The project is part of a $30.5 million research agreement with Natura Resources, which is planning to finish the facility by 2026 and deploy larger factory-built reactors for commercial operations in the early 2030s! #NEXTLab #GenerationAtomic #AdvancedNuclear #WattageWednesday So...