Texas A&M is already a heavyweight in the nuclear world because it is one of only three U.S. universities with two active nuclear research reactors on campus. A new partnership with a company called ZettaJoule will expand that with a third reactor. The Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) recently signed a deal to explore building a new kind of research reactor in College Station.

Turning Up the Heat

If it goes through, it could draw in $1 billion for research and industrial partnerships over the next ten years.

ZettaJoule wants to build the ZJ0, a small modular reactor that uses high-temperature gas, reaching a staggering 1,742 degrees Fahrenheit. This plan is based on years of safety testing in Japan.

“Texas has always powered this country, and the Texas A&M University System is helping power what comes next,” Texas A&M System Chancellor Glenn Hegar said. “We’re advancing research, training the workforce, and building partnerships that keep safety and transparency first.

“As AI and advanced manufacturing place new demands on the grid, our focus is clear, strengthen reliability, secure energy independence and create opportunity for Texans and the nation,” Hegar added.

A Reactor For Industrial Giants

This kind of “process heat” is exactly what industries need to make steel, refine chemicals, or even create hydrogen and synthetic fuels. It could even help run massive data centers or desalination plants.

Because the ZJ0 can do so much, industry leaders such as NASA, tech “hyperscalers,” or refiners might want to take part in the experimental reactor. Dr. Robert H. Bishop, Vice Chancellor and Dean of Texas A&M Engineering, noted, “This partnership strengthens our ability to support researchers and industry collaborators working at the forefront of next generation energy systems.”