Reply #6: Is there anyone who still can't use Wiki? [View All]

[eppur_se_muova]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molten_salt_reactor

Sounds like the problem with molten salt reactors is that they don't require any expensively machined fuel core elements -- so little profit to be made by selling supplies and/or maintenance.

Since it uses unfabricated fuel, basically just a mixture of chemicals, current reactor vendors don't want to develop it. They derive their long-term profits from sales of fabricated fuel assemblies.

... but would certainly be attractive to the utilities that run them:

With continuous reprocessing, a molten-salt-fueled reactor has more than 97% burn-up of fuel. This is very efficient, compared to any system, anywhere. Light water reactors burn up about 2% of fuel on a once-through fuel cycle (current practice, 2007).

Nothing's perfect, or without problems. But any reactor that has the potential to displace coal is worth a thorough evaluation.