ABILENE, Texas, July 26, 2024 (PRNewswire) — Natura Resources, LLC (Natura) has entered into a revolutionary new partnership with the Texas Produced Water Consortium (TxPWC) at Texas Tech University to look at the deployment of Natura's liquid-fueled molten salt reactor (LF-MSR) technology to power the Permian Basin.
Dubbed "Fortifying the Future," this partnership provides a great opportunity to deploy Natura's LF-MSR technology to provide additional sources of reliable, dispatchable energy paired with produced water treatment facilities to supply two new forms of critical resources for the state of Texas.
"We are proud to partner with the Texas Produced Water Consortium and excited for the opportunities that this Fortifying the Future partnership presents," said Doug Robison, Founder and President of Natura Resources. "Natura has deep-seated roots in the Permian Basin oil and gas industry, and we are thrilled at the opportunity to bring our molten salt reactor technology to the Permian to meet the critical needs for both energy and water."
Natura Resources is leading the nation in the development and deployment of LF-MSR technology. The Fortifying the Future partnership with the TPWC and the upcoming construction permit issuance in September for Natura's first reactor deployment at Abilene Christian University are both evidence of the rapid pace at which Natura is developing LF-MSR technology to meet the critical needs of our nation.
"This partnership is a significant opportunity to demonstrate the potential for expendable additional sources of electricity and water in a state facing demands regarding future resource adequacy, borne in part by immense economic success on a national and global scale," said Rusty Smith, executive director of the TPWC.
The TPWC was created by the Texas Legislature in 2021 as the state's premier produced water research consortium focused on the potential for beneficial uses of treated produced water outside the oil and gas industry. The consortium is specifically tasked with providing the Legislature and state agencies guidance and recommendations on policies that could encourage a system of beneficial use that is both environmentally safe and economically viable.
Affordable, reliable energy is a critical component of the economics of any water treatment process. Having access to a commercialized molten salt reactor in remote areas of the state could prove to be not only a major breakthrough in achieving economic feasibility for treating new sources of water but also could serve as another critical component in supplying Texans with additional electric generation capacity at a crucial time in the state's history.
"Texas Tech University is proud to partner with Natura in developing innovative solutions to our state's energy and water challenges," said Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec. "This partnership highlights Texas Tech's long-standing commitment to conducting impactful research, especially as it relates to the efficient and reliable utilization of our state's resources."
Natura Resources
Natura Resources LLC is a leading advanced reactor developer committed to answering the world's increased demand for reliable energy, medical isotopes and clean water by developing commercially deployable molten salt reactors. Natura's small modular reactors are liquid fueled and molten salt cooled, which increases efficiency and reduces waste. Natura's first reactor design, Natura MSR-1, is the basis of the first liquid salt-fueled molten salt reactor design ever reviewed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Natura is intensely focused on performance. Founder and president Douglass Robison is a third-generation oilman with a proven track record of revolutionizing the energy industry with innovative technology and results.
