The Reactor
Why molten salt?
Molten salt solves nuclear energy's hardest engineering problems at once: it carries the fuel, transfers the heat, operates at near-atmospheric pressure, and chemically retains fission products. That combination is what makes a reactor simple enough to mass-produce and safe enough to float.
Our flagship technology, the seaMSR-100, is a molten salt reactor delivering 100 MW electric or 250 MW of high-temperature thermal power. Several reactors can be integrated on a single Saltfoss Power Platform, providing 100-600 MW electric or 250-1,500 MW thermal, or a combination of the two through cogeneration. Each reactor operates for 24 years without refueling, ensuring simple operation and predictable performance throughout its life cycle.
Operating at approximately 650 °C and near-atmospheric pressure, the seaMSR-100 leverages the unique properties of molten salt for both heat transfer and fuel containment. Because the fuel is dissolved directly in the FUNaK salt, there are no fuel rods to melt - a conventional meltdown cannot occur. And because the system runs at near-atmospheric pressure, there is no stored pressure energy to drive an explosive release. Lower pressure also means lower complexity, cost, and risk. In short, the system is inherently safe by the laws of physics.
About the seaMSR-100
In any abnormal event, the reactor's passive safety system automatically drains the molten salt into dedicated tanks, where it cools and solidifies. No human or mechanical intervention required.
Inside the reactor core, low-enriched uranium (LEU) fissions in the thermal neutron spectrum. Using LEU lets us build on the existing global fuel supply chain, avoiding the delays associated with emerging HALEU or thorium fuel pathways.
Operating near 650 °C unlocks a new range of applications: efficient electricity generation and high-temperature process heat for industrial sectors that are hard to electrify. The large margin to the salt's boiling point of roughly 1,600 °C ensures stable, easily controllable operation.
The fluoride-based FUNaK salt also chemically binds fission products: in the unlikely event of a leak, these remain trapped in the salt rather than being released to the surroundings. Managing this chemistry does require precise control to minimize corrosion, a known challenge in molten salt systems, and one where Saltfoss has built deep expertise, ensuring safe and durable operation over the reactor's lifetime.