Saltfoss expands in the United States to license the first floating molten salt nuclear reactor power plants
Copenhagen, Denmark – Saltfoss, the developer of the seaMSR floating molten salt reactor platform, today announced its expansion in the United States, where it submitted a letter of intent to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to begin pre-application engagement for its Molten Salt Power Barge and seaMSR-100 reactor. Saltfoss expects to be the first advanced reactor developer to license under 10 CFR Part 53, the NRC's new regulatory framework for advanced reactors issued in March 2026 – and the first licensing a maritime advanced SMR in the World. Maritime safety aspects of the floating power barge are being qualified by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) through its New Technology Qualification process.
The announcement follows Saltfoss' finalization of its conceptual design in 2025 and more than six years of development of the seaMSR platform – a loop-type molten salt reactor built on low-enriched uranium (LEU) and standardized 100 MWe power modules, deployable on barges of up to 600 MWe for coastal industrial power and heat, grid baseload, and hyperscale data centers.
“We are combining a U.S. reactor design heritage proven at Oak Ridge National Laboratory with the world-class shipbuilding and nuclear supply chain of South Korea. This combination ensures that Saltfoss can credibly deliver the first-of-a-kind plant under the new Part 53 framework,” said Klaus Nyengaard, CEO of Saltfoss.
Saltfoss will submit its Regulatory Engagement Plan (REP) to the NRC in the first quarter of 2027, the next formal step of the licensing process. In parallel, Saltfoss is aligning its application path with Korea's Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) under Korea's SMR Special Act, with Korea expected to host some of the platform's first commercial deployments outside the U.S.
As part of its U.S. expansion, Saltfoss will significantly increase its activities in the United States, including reactor assembly, fuel loading and final power plant integration at U.S. facilities. This expansion builds on long-standing partnerships with Idaho National Laboratory, ABS, and other U.S. entities, where U.S. activities and development programs are carried out in close collaboration with Saltfoss’ world-class R&D organization in Denmark.
Manufacturing of the power barges will remain with Saltfoss partner Samsung Heavy Industries in South Korea. Saltfoss will leverage the Korean nuclear and shipbuilding supply chain for high-efficiency hull and barge series production, combined with U.S. nuclear supply-chain participation for reactor payload construction and integration – a dual-hub manufacturing model that will deliver the lowest cost path to first deployment and scale while preserving allied supply-chain resilience.
The seaMSR-100 is a molten salt reactor operating near atmospheric pressure at approximately 600–700 °C, using low-enriched uranium from existing commercial supply chains. Its fuel salt solidifies below approximately 500 °C, trapping radioactive material and rendering a large release physically implausible; the reactor shuts down and drains by gravity alone, without operator action or external power.
About Saltfoss
Saltfoss is a Danish nuclear technology company developing the seaMSR floating molten salt reactor platform: standardized 100 MWe LEU molten salt reactor modules deployed on modular power barges of up to 600 MWe, built in series at an industrial shipyard. The platform delivers 24/7 carbon-free electricity and high-temperature process heat to coastal industrial markets worldwide. More at saltfoss.com.
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