ABILENE, TEXAS (By Natura, 14.Oct.2025, Words: 424) — Natura Resources LLC continues to advance construction and deployment of the first Gen IV nuclear reactor in the US. Natura’s MSR-1 is the only liquid-fuel reactor design licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and 1 of only 2 Gen IV advanced nuclear reactor technologies cleared for construction by the NRC.
The DOE’s Idaho National Lab timeline for advanced reactor deployments projects Natura’s MSR-1 as the first Gen IV reactor deployment in the US.
Natura has made significant progress toward deployment after the NRC issued a construction permit in Sep. 2024 for the deployment of Natura’s 1- megawatt (MW) MSR-1 system on the campus of Abilene Christian University (ACU).
In the coming months, Natura intends to:
— complete and file an operating license application for the MSR-1
— procure remaining materials from US-based suppliers
— add talent to support deployment of the commercial reactors
— file 2 commercial applications with the NRC, 1 focused on medical isotope production and the other for grid-scale electricity generation
— sign commercial offtake agreements
The MSR-1 / MSR-100
Natura is building a cutting-edge small modular reactor (SMR) that uses liquid fuel dissolved in a molten salt mixture. This design operates at high temperature and low pressure, enhancing safety and efficiency. It can use several fuel types, including recycled waste fuel, and produces significantly less waste than conventional nuclear reactor designs. Use of liquid fuel in the reactor also enables harvesting of rare medical isotopes critical for cancer treatment.
The Natura MSR-100 is a 100-MW system with substantial design carryover from the MSR-1 that will meet commercial demand for power generation and produced water desalination.
Components for Natura’s MSR-100 can be built in a manufacturing facility and then deployed in modules based on the commercial application and power generation needs. This lowers the capital cost of building a reactor compared with the bespoke design and construction of light water reactors.
Combining molten salt technology with modular design will make Natura’s reactor cost competitive with other clean, 24/7 baseload power generation, including natural gas.
The efficiency and design of Natura’s MSR-100 reactor also will make it an ideal option for produced water desalination, a critical issue or the Permian Basin and other areas of the US with significant oil and gas production.
Key Funding and Technology Partners
The state of Texas has allocated $120mn to support the MSR-1 project, and, to date, Natura has secured $120mn in equity capital.
Under separate agreements, Natura has partnered with Zachary Nuclear Engineering and Teledyne Brown Engineering for critical engineering, design and procurement.
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