TUD plans DEMO nuclear recycling reactor in Saxony
The gist
TUD Dresden University of Technology has presented a concept for a DEMO experimental reactor to recycle Germany's highly radioactive waste.
The plan hinges on a molten salt reactor design and a Saxony-funded feasibility study, not yet a built plant.
How it unfolded
- Nov 5, 2026TUD presents a concept to manage highly radioactive waste from Germany's nuclear plants by converting it into low-carbon energy and mostly short-lived radioactive materials, and plans to build the experimental recycling reactor DEMO based on a molten salt reactor.
- Nov 5, 2026A feasibility study funded by the Free State of Saxony shows how a molten salt reactor can be operated without conventional nuclear fuel reprocessing; the AKR-2 training reactor played a key role.
- Nov 5, 2026Potential sites initially include the existing Rossendorf research site, operated by VKTA, and industrial transformation sites in Lu... (name truncated in the source).
Key terms
- molten salt reactor
- A nuclear fission reactor whose fuel and/or coolant is a mixture of molten salt with fissile material.
- light-water reactor
- A thermal-neutron reactor using ordinary water as both coolant and neutron moderator, with solid fuel.
Source: Wikipedia