{"id":9935,"date":"2025-07-14T18:05:33","date_gmt":"2025-07-14T17:05:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/visegradpost.com\/?p=9935"},"modified":"2025-07-14T18:05:33","modified_gmt":"2025-07-14T17:05:33","slug":"europe-ignored-this-nuclear-solution-for-50-years-a-forgotten-power-source-could-change-everything-in-energy-policy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/visegradpost.com\/en\/2025\/07\/14\/europe-ignored-this-nuclear-solution-for-50-years-a-forgotten-power-source-could-change-everything-in-energy-policy\/","title":{"rendered":"“Europe Ignored This Nuclear Solution for 50 Years”: A Forgotten Power Source Could Change Everything in Energy Policy"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\n\n\n\n
IN A NUTSHELL<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
    \n
  • \u269b\ufe0f Thorizon<\/strong>, a Franco-Dutch start-up, is developing a reactor that uses molten salt technology to harness energy from spent nuclear fuel.<\/li>\n
  • \ud83c\udf0d The reactor, called Thorizon One<\/strong>, aims to transform nuclear waste into a valuable energy resource, challenging traditional practices.<\/li>\n
  • \ud83d\udd04 By using a modular cartridge system, Thorizon One offers a safer and more efficient method for managing radioactive materials.<\/li>\n
  • \ud83d\udcc8 The resurgence of molten salt reactors aligns with global efforts to transition to sustainable energy sources, potentially reshaping Europe’s energy strategy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n

    For decades, Europe has been sitting on a nuclear goldmine, yet it has largely ignored the potential of spent nuclear fuel. These materials, primarily uranium dioxide, have been stored in steel containers on concrete or submerged in deep pools. Despite holding nearly 90% of the original energy<\/strong> from raw uranium, they have not been reused efficiently due to environmental concerns and fear of nuclear proliferation. However, a bold innovation by the Franco-Dutch start-up, Thorizon, could revolutionize this perspective by harnessing the power of molten salt reactors<\/strong> to transform nuclear waste into a valuable energy source.<\/p>\n

    Thorizon: Pioneering a New Era in Nuclear Energy<\/h2>\n

    Thorizon aims to turn what is considered an ecological burden into an energy asset. The company’s future reactor, aptly named Thorizon One, will utilize a blend of molten salts<\/strong>, incorporating both spent nuclear fuel and thorium. Thorium, a radioactive metal three to four times more abundant than uranium<\/i> in the Earth’s crust, poses minimal risk of military application. Thorizon One’s expected output of 100 MW could power 100,000 homes, placing it among the Small Modular Reactors (SMR) class.<\/p>\n

    The concept of molten salt reactors isn’t new. The United States explored this technology as early as the 1960s. These reactors use chemicals like fluorides or metal chlorides, which are solid at room temperature but become liquid at high temperatures, typically ranging from 932\u00b0F to 1472\u00b0F. This liquid form efficiently carries both heat and fissile material, ensuring a stable and low-pressure environment. Such characteristics make molten salt reactors ideal for safe nuclear energy production<\/strong> without the extreme pressure constraints of conventional reactors.<\/p>\n

    \u201cIt’s Like Science Fiction Meets Reality\u201d: AI and Autonomous Gliders Revolutionize Underwater Security With Unprecedented Precision and Power<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n