Moltex Energy says it has developed tech that could shake up nuclear waste management through a “revolutionary” process to address a challenge facing nuclear energy as the sector responds to rising global demand.
The Saint John-based company is behind an innovate “Waste to Stable Salt” technology that Moltex believes is set to “transform nuclear waste management by providing economically viable solutions.”
The tech, dubbed WATSS, can convert used nuclear fuel into an asset through an energy-efficient 24-hour chemical process.
“The world today stands at a pivotal juncture, requiring both clean and affordable energy as we grapple with pressing challenges,” stated Rory O’Sullivan, chief executive officer of Moltex. “This complex equation demands innovative solutions capable of combining both environmental sustainability and economic viability.”
“With WATSS, we have solved that equation by creating a simple and cost-efficient technology that transforms used nuclear fuel into a valuable energy asset,” he said. “WATSS transforms nuclear waste into an asset, providing a cost-effective, adaptable, and safe pathway for waste owners to reduce long-term liabilities while enhancing energy security.”
After arriving at a WATSS facility, which can be placed beside a nuclear power plant to minimize transportation and risk, used fuel is stripped of its cladding. During pre-treatment, irradiated oxide fuel is subjected to a “sequence of controlled oxidation and reduction steps,” adjusting its state to the level required for subsequent processing.
Next, transuranic elements are separated from uranium through direct extraction into a molten salt. From this stage, different processing pathways can be applied to produce various fuel types.
Finally, extracted transuranic elements are concentrated to produce molten salt fuel.
Moltex says it has battle-tested the “WATSS” process over several years, including on used fuel bundles from a commercial reactor in Canada through experiments executed by Canadian Nuclear Laboratories.
“Building on seven years of rigorous testing and development, Moltex has successfully validated WATSS using real used nuclear fuel pellets, marking a step change in the viability of closing the nuclear fuel cycle with a practical and scalable solution,” noted O’Sullivan.
This advancement could vastly reduce nuclear waste volumes and “unlock fresh economic opportunities” for utilities, according to the company.
Over the next two years, Moltex says it intends to expand its operations, refine the WATSS process, and demonstrate scalability ahead of commercial deployment. This will include the development of a large-scale simulated fuel version of the entire WATSS process as well as a larger integrated rig that uses real used fuel.
In partnership with New Brunswick Power, Moltex plans to build a commercial-scale demonstration facility at the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating station site. The facility will recycle an anticipated 260,000 used fuel bundles from an existing reactor.
The development of WATSS was supported by both the federal government and the provincial government of New Brunswick.