Nuclear energy has proven to be effective in terms of generating electricity all around the globe in various cities. The future of nuclear energy might come in the form of Molten Salt Reactors rather than a traditional nuclear reactor. The argument is that MSRs have numerous more benefits that puts it over traditional reactors, the main ones being: sustainability, monetarily and safety. However, MSRs are still in the process of being explored with many developments made every year. As that is the case, there are many hurdles that need to be overcome before MSRs can become a mainstream alternative to nuclear energy. 

The benefits of using Molten Salt Reactors are mainly three-fold. The first of which is sustainability. 

Sustainability: 

In comparison to traditional nuclear reactors MSRs are much cleaner for the environment and are ultimately more efficient. Traditional Reactors can only burn “1% of Uranium on Earth,” which is quite staggering. Directly contrasting that however, is the fact that MSRs have the capability to do much better than 1%. The main advantage is that because the fuel is liquid(heated fluoride or chloride salt) that has Thorium and Uranium dissolved in, which means that the fission products(or the smaller atoms that come when atoms split) can be processed while still during the process. While tradition reactors would have the common issue of those split atoms absorbing neutrons.

Economics: A lower price 

A large benefit is that MSRs don’t have to shut down during refueling, unlike their traditional counterparts which have to complete shut down to put new fuel in. MSRs can do this while still fully operating, which saves time, money, as a result, efficiency. 

Safety: 

A big concern with Nuclear Reactors is the danger of Nuclear Meltdowns and the ensuing danger that is poses. Examples such as Fukushima or Chernobyl come to mind. MSRs are generally much safer than traditional reactors. Firstly, they have a low amount of reactivity that is wasted or not needed during the process. Which means that there be spikes in reactivity as a result of a natural disaster. Another key aspect is the built-in safety mechanism in place if anything does go wrong. For the MSR this is primarily the implementation of a “Drank Tank Failure Mechanism” which freezes the liquid, and altogether stops the possibility of a meltdown. 

  The Idea of MSRs is not new with idea first proposed during the Manhattan Project period. However, recently more scientists are looking at MSRs at the possible future of Nuclear Energy. The reason for this development is because the main problem associated with MSRs were that “salt solutions just aren’t well understood in high-temperature nuclear contexts.” Now, the knowledge of MSRs is only growing and maybe soon electricity will have another source for humanity to use in the future. 

Source: 

Delbert, Caroline. “Molten Salt Reactors Are Nuclear's Future. How Do We Get There?” Popular Mechanics, Popular Mechanics, 30 June 2020, www.popularmechanics.com/science/a32998240/molten-salt-reactors/.