The Texas A&M University System announced that it’s partnering with Charlotte, North Carolina-based Terrestrial Energy to advance the development of its planned small modular reactor at the Texas A&M-RELLIS campus in Bryan.

The ground lease and research agreements give Terrestrial Energy site control over approximately 77 acres at A&M-RELLIS and support site characterization, environmental evaluations, testing, and research activity connected to the company’s Integral Molten Salt Reactor.

“President Trump has made clear that America needs to move faster to develop the next generation of nuclear energy,” Chairman of the A&M Board of Regents Robert Albritton said in a statement. “Texas is ready to help lead that work. At the RELLIS campus, the A&M System has the land, research capacity and workforce mission to help move important energy technologies into the commercial world. This work can strengthen our state, our economy and our national security.”

The news follows an announcement last December that the A&M System and Austin-based Last Energy plan to build a pilot microreactor at the Texas A&M–RELLIS campus. Testing on the project was slated to begin this summer.

Innovative nuclear technology

The work follows a 2025 memorandum of understanding between the A&M System and Terrestrial Energy after the company joined the RELLIS Energy Proving Ground initiative.

Terrestrial Energy CEO Simon Irish said the agreements “capture the vision announced with the 2025 MOU and allow our company to move forward with a powerful partnership across multiple projects.”

“They are foundational to the commercial IMSR Plant development at A&M-RELLIS and leverage the engineering and technology excellence within the A&M System,” Irish added in a statement. “They reflect many months of careful planning and preparation, deepen our relationship with one of the nation’s leading nuclear engineering institutions, and accelerate project activities.”

The U.S. Department of Energy selected Terrestrial Energy for its Reactor Pilot Program, a federal initiative announced in 2025 to accelerate the testing of advanced reactor designs outside the national laboratories.

Terrestrial Energy said that its Generation IV nuclear plants that use its proprietary Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR) technology harnesses the operating benefits of molten salt reactor technology in a plant design that “represents true innovation in capital efficiency, cost reduction, versatility, and functionality of nuclear energy supply.” The company is advancing plans with regulators, suppliers, industrial partners, and energy end users to build, license, and commission the first IMSR Plants in the early 2030s.

Terrestrial Energy has opened an engineering and project management office at the RELLIS campus to help guide the company’s work with the A&M System and other partners.

More on the RELLIS research hub

The A&M System created the RELLIS Energy Proving Ground to give advanced energy companies access to land for planning demonstrations and commercial operations, research, testing, and workforce partnerships within one of the nation’s largest public university systems.

Established in 2016 on the former Riverside Campus on land that once served as Bryan Army Airbase housing Women Air Service pilots during World War II, A&M-RELLIS is named for the six Aggie Core values: respect, excellence, leadership, loyalty, integrity, and selfless services.

Located less than 10 miles from A&M’s flagship campus, RELLIS is now a technology and testing research hub that facilitates collaboration between private and public sector companies and provides unique educational opportunities for students, TAMU said. Companies can pursue project siting, licensing, testing, and development work needed to move advanced nuclear energy technologies into nationwide commercial use.

Texas A&M-RELLIS was designed as an applied research and technology campus where universities, state agencies and private-sector partners can work together on complex problems in fields such as energy, national security, transportation, advanced manufacturing and workforce development.

‘Built to solve problems that matter’

Texas and the nation face growing electricity demand driven by population growth, advanced manufacturing, data centers, artificial intelligence and other energy-intensive industries.

“The Texas A&M System was built to solve problems that matter to Texas and the nation,” said Chancellor Glenn Hegar. “Reliable power is one of those problems. At A&M-RELLIS, we are bringing industry, researchers and public partners together to work on practical energy solutions that can support growth, strengthen the grid and prepare students for high-demand careers.”

The work at RELLIS also boosts Bryan’s role as a home for advanced energy development.

“Energy is the catalyst for everything that drives our state and nation forward,” said Bryan Mayor Bobby Gutierrez. “These critical challenges are courageously studied and tested every day at the RELLIS campus, making our community a world-class destination for advancing new technology. The City of Bryan is honored to help solve these challenges by supporting investments from companies like Terrestrial Energy.”

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