INL makes first fuel for Molten Chloride Reactor Experiment

December 8, 2025, 9:33AMNuclear News
Rendering of MCRE. (Image: INL)

Idaho National Laboratory has announced the creation of the first batch of enriched uranium chloride fuel salt for the Molten Chloride Reactor Experiment (MCRE). INL said that its fuel production team delivered the first fuel salt batch at the end of September, and it intends to produce four additional batches by March 2026. MCRE will require a total of 72–75 batches of fuel salt for the reactor to go critical.