Dr. David LeBlanc and Chris Popoff of Terrestrial Energy conducted an in-car interview regarding the use of nuclear power to make oilsands production more environmentally friendly. LeBlanc sees little obstacle in the development of his Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR), now that he has funding from a partner ‘who can pay the development of IMSR with the spare change in his pocket’
Their reactor is a Denatured Molten Salt Reactor called the "Integral Molten Salt Reactor", drawing on the single fluid MSR research conducted at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
There is an important difference between the Canadian and the US regulatory authorities. The US is rule-based and Canada nuclear regulations are output-based. In the USA, anyone wanting to develop a new type of reactor will have to prove its safety before it exists. All of the US rules are based on light water reactors. In Canada, you will have to prove the safety of your concept while it is operating. Terrestrial IMSR seems to moving ahead very quickly. Canada's nuclear regulators could allow a molten salt reactor to be built and operating in 6 years.
The oilsands and molten salt reactors are a good energy transition with an overlap. Molten salt reactors can produce the steam to get oil from the oilsands. The economics work where more oil from the oilsands pays for the the development and the first few hundred molten salt reactors.
Molten salt reactors would create "green" bitumin production. It would bring oilsand oil production to be equal or better environmentally than other oil production. Currently oilsand oil is less environmentally friendly than other oil sources.
73 minute video explains details of the Molten Salt reactor and SAGD oil extraction from the oilsands
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Their reactor is a Denatured Molten Salt Reactor called the "Integral Molten Salt Reactor", drawing on the single fluid MSR research conducted at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
There is an important difference between the Canadian and the US regulatory authorities. The US is rule-based and Canada nuclear regulations are output-based. In the USA, anyone wanting to develop a new type of reactor will have to prove its safety before it exists. All of the US rules are based on light water reactors. In Canada, you will have to prove the safety of your concept while it is operating. Terrestrial IMSR seems to moving ahead very quickly. Canada's nuclear regulators could allow a molten salt reactor to be built and operating in 6 years.
The oilsands and molten salt reactors are a good energy transition with an overlap. Molten salt reactors can produce the steam to get oil from the oilsands. The economics work where more oil from the oilsands pays for the the development and the first few hundred molten salt reactors.
Molten salt reactors would create "green" bitumin production. It would bring oilsand oil production to be equal or better environmentally than other oil production. Currently oilsand oil is less environmentally friendly than other oil sources.
73 minute video explains details of the Molten Salt reactor and SAGD oil extraction from the oilsands
Read more »
