Economics and finance of Molten Salt Reactors

There is a long-standing and growing interest in Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs) mainly because of their potential advantages in terms of safety, sustainable fuel cycle, and the high melting and boiling points of salt which allow operations at high temperatures and atmospheric pressure with potential merits in terms of cost. A key objective of MSRs is to have a life-cycle cost advantage over other energy sources. Leveraging a systematic literature review, this paper firstly provides an overview of “what we know” about MSR economics and finance following two main streams: scientific and industrial literature. Secondly, this paper highlights “what we should know” about the economics and finance of MSRs, suggesting a research agenda. The literature is very scarce and focuses on MSR overnight capital cost estimations and the comparison between MSR cost of electricity and other energy sources. Cost estimations need to be more transparent and independently assessed. Furthermore, there is no peer-reviewed literature on MSR financing, only claims from vendors.