Thorizon Secures €20 Million for Sustainable Nuclear Technology

2025-03-12 green

Amsterdam, Wednesday, 12 March 2025.
Amsterdam-based Thorizon received €20 million in funding for its molten salt reactor, aiming to advance clean, efficient nuclear energy using nuclear waste as fuel by 2030.

Strategic Investment Breakdown

The €20 million funding package announced on March 11, 2025, comprises €16 million from a Series A round led by Invest-NL, backed by an InvestEU guarantee from the European Commission, and a €4 million grant from the Dutch Province of Noord-Brabant [1][2]. This latest investment brings Thorizon’s total funding to €42.5 million, including a €10 million grant received from the France 2030 Innovative Reactor Programme in 2024 [1].

Revolutionary Reactor Technology

Thorizon’s innovative approach centers on developing a ‘walk-away safe’ molten salt reactor that can utilize long-lived nuclear waste as fuel [1]. The Thorizon One reactor is designed to generate 250 MWt of industrial heat or 100 MWe of electricity [7], making it suitable for powering approximately 250,000 households or a large data center [3]. The company, founded in 2018 by Lucas Pool and Sander de Groot as a spin-off from the Netherlands’ national nuclear research institute NRG, has expanded to a team of 50 engineers across facilities in Amsterdam and Lyon [1].

Development Timeline and Industry Collaboration

Under the leadership of CEO Kiki Lauwers, Thorizon is progressing toward construction of its first reactor by 2030 [1]. The company has established strategic partnerships with VDL Groep and Demcon through the PROMOSA project, which aims to produce working prototypes and a test facility in Brabant by August 2027 [3]. Notably, the Thorizon One reactor has received recognition from the European Commission as one of nine key projects for accelerated nuclear reactor development [3].

Regulatory Progress and Future Outlook

The company initiated collaboration with Dutch and French nuclear regulators on September 4, 2024, for a preparatory review of the Thorizon One reactor, with pre-license applications expected in 2026 [5]. According to CEO Kiki Lauwers, ‘The cartridge-based molten salt reactor reduces long-lived nuclear waste, is inherently safe, and can be built at competitive costs due to its intrinsic safety and modular design’ [2]. The technology represents a significant step toward achieving Europe’s clean energy transition goals while addressing nuclear waste management challenges [1].

Bronnen

nuclear energy molten salt