| A technology assessment of the liquid-fluoride thorium reactor (LFTR) by EPRI, in collaboration with Southern Company, Teledyne Brown Engineering and Flibe Energy, brings together perspectives of the technology developer and technology customer to adapt and apply standard evaluation methods and tools in assessing an innovative advanced reactor concept in the early stages of development. |  |
| The Electric Power Institute (EPRI), in collaboration with Southern Company, Teledyne Brown Engineering and Flibe Energy, recently published a technology assessment of an innovative molten salt reactor (MSR) design--Flibe Energy’s liquid-fluoride thorium reactor (LFTR)—as a potentially transformational technology for meeting future energy needs in the face of uncertain market, policy, and regulatory constraints.This collaborative effort brought together perspectives of the technology developer and technology customer to adapt and apply standard evaluation methods and tools in assessing an innovative advanced reactor concept in the early stages of development. Given the large uncertainty associated with the magnitude of future energy demand and capacity requirements, utilities are interested in identifying technology options that can mitigate the business risks associated with equally uncertain economic, policy, and regulatory futures. It is in this context that electric utilities are taking notice of advanced nuclear generation technologies as options for the 2035 time horizon.  The early design stage of the LFTR concept indicates the need for significant investment in further development and demonstration of novel systems and components. The application of technology assessment tools early in reactor system design can provide real value and facilitate advancement by identifying important knowledge and design performance gaps at a stage when changes can be incorporated with the least impact to cost, schedule, and licensing. Read the full report here. |