Molten salt systems require pumps that can operate continuously at very high temperatures, without the dynamic seals that are the primary failure point in conventional pump designs. 

In next-generation nuclear applications and large-scale thermal energy storage, that means pumps capable of running reliably at 700°C and above, over extended periods, without failure. That engineering problem is what brought six Danish organisations together.

Working alongside Copenhagen Atomics, Alfa Laval, DTU, Sintex, and SiOx, Aalborg CSP contributed molten salt systems and CSP engineering expertise to a three-year programme that advanced a newly developed high-temperature pump from prototype to production-ready stage. 

The pump was developed for applications across:

• concentrated solar power
• molten salt energy storage, and 
• thorium molten salt reactor systems. 

Three of the most demanding thermal engineering contexts in the energy sector.

Image courtesy: Copenhagen Atomics

Aalborg CSP's contribution centred on real-world operating knowledge: the system integration requirements, operating conditions, and commercial context that distinguish a pump that works in a laboratory from one that works in an operating plant. That knowledge, combined with the manufacturing, materials, coatings, and prototyping expertise of the broader consortium, drove the development forward.

Proven in long-duration testing
 

The pump has since been validated in long-duration testing by Copenhagen Atomics, marking one of the longest continuous durability tests of its kind worldwide. Read the World Nuclear News article →

Nuclear ammonia in Indonesia
 

The collaboration with Copenhagen Atomics that began with PUMP HiTS has continued to develop. In 2023, Aalborg CSP joined Copenhagen Atomics, Alfa Laval, and Topsoe in signing a memorandum of understanding to investigate the development of a nuclear-powered green ammonia production facility in Bontang, Indonesia, with Aalborg CSP responsible for the thermal energy storage systems and molten salt-based steam generation that integrate the reactor's energy output with electricity and industrial process heat production. Read more about the Indonesia MOU on WordNuclearNews.Org →