Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Foundation and MicroNuclear Collaborate to Advance Molten Salt Nuclear Battery Technology

The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Foundation and MicroNuclear, LLC today announced a collaboration agreement to jointly advance the development of MicroNuclear's Molten Salt Nuclear Battery© (MsNB). The MsNB is a compact molten salt microreactor concept designed to provide stable power and process heat.

This collaboration will support the next phase of MsNB development, including detailed engineering design, safety and licensing approval, prototype manufacturing, first fission testing, and the development of a reusable model for future deployment and commercialization. The agreement brings together complementary expertise in engineering, reactor technology, manufacturing, quality assurance, training, operations, and commercialization to support the next phase of MsNB development.

The team, composed of the INL Foundation, MicroNuclear, EXP, Premier Technology, Inc., and Porter House, will work to accelerate technology maturation, document key design milestones, support applicable government reviews and regulatory pathways, and lay the foundation for future demonstration, deployment, and commercial-scale applications.

It is understood that MicroNuclear is developing a cybersecurity-hardened MsNB, a compact natural circulation molten salt microreactor designed to support critical infrastructure, military and government facilities, remote or isolated grids, industrial process heat, and potentially hydrogen production. The MsNB is envisioned as a safe, reliable, sustainable, zero-emission 20 MW thermal unit, expected to operate at full power for 10 years (battery replacement cycle), after which it would be returned to a centralized facility for fuel and molten salt recovery and recycling.