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Copenhagen Atomics hits two‑year molten‑salt pump milestone

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  • Testing loops and pumps at Copenhagen Atomics (Image: Copenhagen Atomics)
    Testing loops and pumps at Copenhagen Atomics (Image: Copenhagen Atomics)
    Image: World Nuclear News
    Testing loops and pumps at Copenhagen Atomics (Image: Copenhagen Atomics) Source Full size
  • Molten salt pumps developed by Copenhagen Atomics (Image: Copenhagen Atomics)
    Molten salt pumps developed by Copenhagen Atomics (Image: Copenhagen Atomics)
    Image: World Nuclear News
    Molten salt pumps developed by Copenhagen Atomics (Image: Copenhagen Atomics) Source Full size
  • The development plant of Copenhagen Atomics in Søborg, Copenhagen (Image: Copenhagen Atomics)
    The development plant of Copenhagen Atomics in Søborg, Copenhagen (Image: Copenhagen Atomics)
    Image: World Nuclear News
    The development plant of Copenhagen Atomics in Søborg, Copenhagen (Image: Copenhagen Atomics) Source Full size

Two‑year continuous molten‑salt pump operation achieved Copenhagen Atomics completed a two‑year uninterrupted run of a molten‑salt pump and test loop at its Copenhagen facility, marking one of the longest durability tests of this type worldwide. [1]

Pump reliability essential for future MSR deployment Molten‑salt reactors require pumps to circulate liquid fuel or coolant above 600 °C for years, and stable long‑term pump performance is a prerequisite for regulatory approval and commercial use, the company said. [1]

Test platform accumulates over 100,000 pump hours The pumped molten‑salt loop platform replicates reactor thermal, chemical and mechanical conditions without fission, and across Copenhagen Atomics’ infrastructure more than 100,000 hours of combined pump runtime have been logged, with many individual pumps exceeding one year of operation. [1]

In‑house design cuts testing costs dramatically Copenhagen Atomics designs and manufactures its pumps, control electronics, sensors and produces tonne‑scale purified molten salts on site, a vertically integrated approach that lets the firm run long‑duration tests at a fraction of the cost typical of national laboratories or large research facilities. [1]

CEO declares two‑year run validates technology CEO and co‑founder Thomas Jam Pedersen said the continuous two‑year test proves molten‑salt pumps can operate stably over timescales relevant to commercial reactors and confirms the company’s design, material selection, salt purity and testing methodology. [1]

Plans include dozens of loops and 100 MWt reactor Copenhagen Atomics intends to expand to dozens of parallel molten‑salt loops in Copenhagen and with partners, is collaborating with Switzerland’s Paul Scherrer Institute for a first nuclear test, and is developing a containerised heavy‑water‑moderated thorium reactor delivering 100 MWt at an estimated EUR 20 per MWh while consuming nuclear waste. [1]

  • Thomas Jam Pedersen, CEO and co‑founder of Copenhagen Atomics: “Component reliability is not something you prove once, it has to be proven repeatedly over long periods and under realistic conditions… Running a molten salt pump continuously for two years is a major technical milestone, and it confirms that our approach to design, materials, salt purity and testing works as intended.”
  • Copenhagen Atomics (company statement): “For regulators, data matters. Not optimism or simulations. Long‑duration component testing dramatically reduces risk later in the development process. Finding and fixing issues in a test loop is orders of magnitude cheaper than discovering them in a prototype reactor.”

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