Austria's Emerald Horizon Plans to Complete Thorium-Based Reactor Prototype by 2029

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 20, Austrian energy technology company Emerald Horizon disclosed its plan to develop a containerized accelerator-driven thorium-based reactor, aiming to complete a prototype in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, in 2029, with the goal of building a demonstration power plant in 2031. The company is collaborating with Dutch group VDL to develop related equipment, and plans to first launch a hybrid battery and molten salt energy storage product before advancing the industrialization of its thorium-based power generation system. Currently, the reactor technology remains in the early stages of research, development, and validation.

Emerald Horizon has named the system SMRX, which adopts a subcritical design driven by an external particle accelerator. Its core power generation module, ADES, uses the accelerator to provide a neutron source, generates heat in a thorium-containing molten salt loop, and then outputs electricity through heat exchange and energy conversion equipment. According to the company's design, a single module has a rated thermal power of 25 MW and an electrical power of approximately 10 MW, adopts a standardized container structure, and has a designed refueling cycle of 20 years. These specifications are currently design targets and have not yet been validated through full-system operation.

The project has entered the construction phase of a key non-nuclear system test facility in the Netherlands. In September, Emerald Horizon and VDL Group began construction of a megawatt-scale high-temperature molten salt test loop to verify the operating performance of molten salt circulation, pumps, heat exchangers, and related mechanical equipment. The company will advance system integration, engineering commissioning, and scale-up, with plans to complete the test loop in 2027 and the integrated prototype in 2029.

During the development of the thorium-based power generation module, Emerald Horizon plans to first conduct commercial business through the DUALstorePLUS hybrid energy storage system. This system combines lithium iron phosphate batteries with molten salt thermal storage equipment. A single battery module has an energy storage capacity of approximately 5 MWh, and a single molten salt module has a thermal storage capacity of approximately 5 MWh. The system can be configured with a capacity of 5 to 100 MWh. The battery energy storage product is planned to begin delivery in the fourth quarter of 2026, and the molten salt thermal storage equipment is expected to enter commercial supply in 2028.

Emerald Horizon assesses the technology readiness level of its accelerator-driven thorium-based system at 4.5. Subsequent work involves neutron transport simulation, molten salt flow and heat transfer validation, system integration, and engineering licensing. The company has conducted preliminary regulatory consultations for nuclear energy projects in the Netherlands and has carried out legal and technical assessments of the relevant licensing pathway in the United States. The subsequent implementation of the reactor prototype and demonstration power plant still depends on progress in technical validation, financing, and regulatory approval.