Türkiye, Danish firm sign thorium technology agreement

Türkiye, Danish firm sign thorium technology agreement

Türkiye’s Energy, Nuclear and Mineral Research Agency (TENMAK) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Denmark-based Copenhagen Atomics to cooperate on the use of thorium in next-generation nuclear technologies.

The agreement aims to expand research and development capacity in advanced nuclear systems and examine the domestic production of thorium compounds that meet nuclear fuel standards for molten salt reactors, the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry said on Sept. 7.

The memorandum was signed at a TENMAK campus in Istanbul in the presence of Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar.

“We hope this cooperation will deliver results and eventually lead to a commercial product,” Bayraktar said, adding that the focus on thorium gave the partnership particular importance.

Bayraktar said Türkiye was pursuing several small modular reactor projects in parallel with the involvement of public institutions and private investors.

It would become clearer over the next few years which technologies could progress toward commercialization, he added.

The agreement will involve Turkish industry, researchers and engineers in efforts to use the country’s thorium resources in higher-value nuclear technologies.

The initial work will focus on research and project development for producing thorium compounds in Türkiye that are suitable for use in molten salt reactors.

Copenhagen Atomics is developing thorium molten salt reactor technology and is working on a modular design called Onion Core.

Under the agreement, the company will assess its technology against Türkiye’s research infrastructure, workforce and industrial capabilities.

The ministry said the longer-term aim was to establish domestic production of nuclear-grade thorium compounds and develop Türkiye as an international supplier in the field.