Graz firm begins building thorium reactor test loop

Emerald Horizon has begun building the test loop for its planned thorium reactor, the Graz-based energy technology company said Tuesday, according to ORF. The company signed a contract with VDL Groep in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, to build the prototype of the loop, which it describes as the core of its SMRX reactor.

Emerald Horizon chief executive Florian Wagner and VDL Managing Director Markjan Vermeer signed the agreement at a press conference in Graz. The prototype is expected to be completed in 2029, with series production potentially starting in 2031.

Four-part energy system

Wagner presented the complete SMRX concept for the first time. It consists of four elements: a heat-storage unit, a battery-storage unit, a converter and a particle accelerator for producing neutrons. An artificial intelligence-based control unit in the centre is intended to optimise and control the system.

The four elements are housed in containers so they can be transported easily. The thorium-based reactor would be installed underground beneath them. Construction of the prototype loop is now starting at VDL in Eindhoven.

The SMRX belongs to the small modular reactor category, but Emerald Horizon describes it as a modular, subcritical energy source based on thorium. The loop, through which a liquid carrier salt will circulate, is designed to operate at ambient pressure and transfer heat at process temperatures of up to 900 degrees Celsius.

Emerald Horizon carried out the research underpinning the concept in Graz. The company and VDL plan to build the prototype over the next three years. Wagner described the project as the decisive phase between laboratory research and production.

According to Wagner, one SMRX module could produce up to 25 megawatts of thermal power and about 10 megawatts of electrical power, enough to supply around 10,000 households. The generator is designed to operate for about 20 years without being refuelled. The company says it would use thorium instead of uranium or plutonium and produce about 200 kilograms of waste over 20 years.

Energy as a service

VDL representative Hans Priem described the project as an adventure but said the Graz concept now had a strong chance of succeeding. VDL will manufacture the prototype and contribute to its further development. Managing Director Markjan Vermeer said the company would help bring the technology to series production.

Emerald Horizon, founded by Wagner and Philipp Pölzl in 2019, plans to offer the technology as “Energy as a Service”. Customers would rent the equipment and pay only for the energy they use. Wagner cited an intended price of about 8.5 cents per kilowatt-hour.

The company is primarily targeting large businesses, but also sees municipalities and public infrastructure such as hospitals as potential customers. The reactors are intended mainly to supplement existing energy supplies. Possible applications include data centres, the food and metal industries, transport such as ship propulsion, and petrol stations converted into electric charging stations.

Emerald Horizon sees potential markets worldwide, including emerging and developing countries. The company said the reactors could help address limited electricity infrastructure in Africa because they could be started independently of the power grid.

Marketing the technology in Austria could be difficult because of the country’s constitutional law against nuclear power. Emerald Horizon and VDL aim to manufacture thorium generators at several locations by 2035. The company has named the United States, where it is currently establishing a branch, among its potential production locations.