Where else could you find this kind of energy? At the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) our power comes from our people. Hardworking Americans who oversee the safe use of nuclear technology that powers communities, revolutionizes medicine, and empowers America.

Learn More

Research & Applications

Molten salt test loop at INL means real-time data on sensors and materials

April 3, 2025, 12:02PMNuclear News
Principal investigator Ruchi Gakhar (left), technician Dean Burt (center), and intern Diego Macias, shown loading salt into the loop. (Photo: INL)

The Department of Energy announced March 31 that a new Molten Salt Flow Loop Test Bed at Idaho National Laboratory recently went through its inaugural test run. The closed-loop test system will allow for continuous monitoring and analysis of chloride-based molten salt reactor technology and instruments before the construction of the Southern Company/TerraPower Molten Chloride Reactor Experiment. MCRE—an experimental fast-spectrum molten salt research reactor—will be built at INL’s repurposed Zero Power Physics Reactor, which has been renamed LOTUS (Laboratory for Operation and Testing in the United States).

To continue reading, log in or create a free account!

Related Articles

Mark Peters: Building on a strong foundation

July 10, 2026, 3:09PMNuclear NewsLucas Geiger

Summer at the American Nuclear Society carries with it a sense of renewed momentum as the incoming president takes office and starts making plans for the year ahead. This has been particularly...

ICYMI: Counting up INL’s reactors

July 10, 2026, 7:10AMNuclear News

Over the past two weeks, in the “Trivia Tuesday” and “Throwback Thursday” sections of Nuclear News Daily, we have dug into the story of Idaho National Laboratory’s official list of...