50 MW molten salt nuclear reactor design could use radioactive waste to generate energy

Scientists in Germany have been exploring a novel method to turn spent nuclear fuel into low-carbon power. A feasibility study from the Technical University of Dresden outlines plans for a pioneering recycling reactor known as DEMO. “High-level radioactive waste is considered one of humanity’s most dangerous legacies,” said the research team. “To address this problem at its source, TUD plans to build the experimental recycling reactor DEMO.” The project proposes a molten salt reactor capable of consuming spent fuel on site. If the project succeeds, it could render Germany’s search for a deep geological repository obsolete. This, according to the proposal, could potentially save the country €50 billion ($56 billion) under the federal Site Selection Act. Sidestepping hazardous method The proposal focuses on a method known as transmutation without reprocessing. Conventional nuclear recycling relies on complex chemical procedures to extract usable materials from radioactive rods. Dresden’s design sidesteps this hazard by introducing high-level waste—including spent fuel and vitrified materials—directly into liquid salt carriers without conventional chemical reprocessing. Neutron bombardment splits heavy nuclear waste into lighter elements inside the reactor. Most of these residual fission products decay to safe levels within decades rather than millennia. Because the leftover waste is predominantly short-lived, the team argues it would bypass the stringent long-term storage mandates enforced by German federal law. The energy potential locked in these stockpiles is substantial. Researchers calculate that Germany’s stored waste holds enough usable energy to supply the equivalent of 300 times the nation’s annual electricity demand. Alongside clean heat, the reactor would produce vital medical radionuclides for cancer therapies and provide technical data for advanced nuclear fusion research. A non-commercial research facility To clear the political hurdles surrounding atomic power in Germany, the Dresden team designed the DEMO reactor around the existing Atomic Energy Act. Under current statutes, commercial nuclear power and chemical fuel reprocessing are barred. However, DEMO is strictly a non-commercial research facility with a thermal output of 50 megawatts. Because it separates no nuclear fuel and produces no commercial electricity, planners say it can legally be built under existing legislation. “The DEMO project has been strategically designed to allow construction under the current Atomic Energy Act (AtG), as it will not involve commercial electricity generation or nuclear fuel reprocessing,” highlighted the research team. Strategic lead for advanced nuclear recycling The project requires an estimated public investment of €1.95 billion. Development and construction are scheduled to take five years, followed by a 20-year operational lifespan. Authorities are already assessing three potential sites in Saxony: the VKTA research campus at Rossendorf, alongside two prominent industrial transformation hubs in Lusatia, Schwarze Pumpe and Boxberg. If the experimental phase proves the physics, researchers hope amended regulations will allow commercial transmutation plants to feed the grid by 2045. For Saxony, the project offers a strategic opening to lead advanced nuclear recycling, turning a costly environmental crisis into an exportable global industry. “The aim is to safeguard Europe’s energy independence and competitiveness while fostering broad public and political acceptance by resolving or mitigating the problem of final radioactive waste disposal,” concluded the team. Get the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.An active and versatile journalist and news editor. He has covered regular and breaking news for several leading publications and news media, including The Hindu, Economic Times, Tomorrow Makers, and many more. Aman holds expertise in politics, travel, and tech news, especially in AI, advanced algorithms, and blockchain, with a strong curiosity about all things that fall under science and tech.