Copenhagen Atomics Secures Thorium Supply from Norway to Advance Molten‑Salt Reactors

Copenhagen Atomics signs LoI with Rare Earths Norway for thorium supply – The Danish firm secured a Letter of Intent to obtain thorium extracted from Norway’s Fensfeltet deposit, aiming to build a long‑term European supply chain for the material used in its molten‑salt reactors [1].

Thorium fuels the company’s 100 MWt containerised molten‑salt reactor – The reactor, moderated by unpressurised heavy water, consumes nuclear waste, breeds new fuel from thorium, and targets a levelised cost of €20 (US$23.5) per MWh, enabling mass‑manufacture on assembly lines [1].

Design separates used fuel into four streams to cut long‑lived waste – Copenhagen Atomics plans to split spent light‑water reactor fuel into zircaloy, uranium, fission products and transuranics, using plutonium to “kick‑start” thorium breeding and dramatically reduce radioactive waste volumes [1].

LoI frames technical, commercial and regulatory collaboration, not a binding purchase – While the agreement does not guarantee an offtake, it establishes cooperation on responsibly utilising thorium that is currently a by‑product of Rare Earths Norway’s rare‑earth production at one of Europe’s largest deposits [1].

Securing thorium early lowers project risk and supports clean‑energy applications – Copenhagen Atomics says the upstream supply will help deliver low‑cost, clean energy for industrial processes such as ammonia synthesis, hydrogen production, desalination and process heat [1].

First test reactor slated for Paul Scherrer Institute; commercial rollout in early 2030s – The company expects its initial nuclear test unit to operate in Switzerland, with commercial deployment of mass‑manufactured reactors targeted for the early 2030s [1].