Terrestrial Energy has secured exclusive access to 77 acres at the Texas A&M-RELLIS campus to advance engineering preparations for a small modular nuclear power plant. The signed ground lease and research and development agreements allow the company to conduct physical testing and environmental site characterization. 

This data collection is required before submitting a construction permit application to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

This development follows two regulatory and technical milestones achieved by Terrestrial Energy earlier this year. In April 2026, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission completed a safety evaluation of the company’s methodology for identifying and analyzing potential reactor accidents. 

This assessment is built on a late 2025 regulatory milestone, during which the agency approved the core engineering design criteria for the system. In May 2026, the company entered a separate agreement with Riot Platforms to study how this reactor design can support large-scale computing infrastructure, targeting up to 4 gigawatts of total power capacity.

Technical profile of the molten salt design

The planned facility uses an Integral Molten Salt Reactor, which represents a shift from traditional light-water nuclear plants. Traditional reactors use solid uranium fuel rods cooled by water under high pressure. In contrast, this Generation IV design mixes low-enriched uranium fuel directly into a liquid salt mixture. The liquid functions simultaneously as the fuel matrix and the heat transfer fluid.

This liquid state alters the safety profile of the system. If power is lost, the liquid salt can cool by natural air circulation without requiring active electrical backup pumps to prevent overheating. The reactor operates at high temperatures but at normal atmospheric pressure. This low-pressure environment reduces the physical risk of a containment breach compared to high-pressure water systems.

The reactor is engineered as a small modular unit. This allows major components to be fabricated in a factory environment and transported by truck or rail to the site for assembly, rather than being built entirely on-site. The facility is designed to generate both electricity and high-temperature industrial heat. This thermal energy output can be directed to industrial applications, such as chemical synthesis, or to localized power grids.

Scope of the campus testing site

The 77-acre site at the RELLIS Energy Proving Ground will host multiple validation projects. Terrestrial Energy has established an engineering and project management office on the campus to oversee these activities. Under a master research agreement finalized in the first quarter of 2026, university researchers and company engineers will collaborate on testing procedures.

The site will support the primary reactor project, alongside two initiatives managed in partnership with the US Department of Energy, TETRA and TEFLA. Engineers will focus on verifying how the system’s materials withstand high thermal stress and radiation over time. The project also includes local workforce development to train technicians on the specific maintenance protocols required for liquid-fueled systems.

The regional power grid, operated by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, faces rising demand from advanced manufacturing facilities, industrial operations, and data centers. These installations require a continuous baseline power supply that is not affected by weather conditions. 

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