TerraPower begins construction on nuclear project in Wyoming
July 5, 2024
In mid-June, 2024, TerraPower celebrated the start of construction on the Natrium reactor1 demonstration project in Kemmerer, Wyoming.
The ceremony brought together TerraPower leaders, government officials, Natrium project partners, industry and community supporters, including TerraPower Chairman and founder, Bill Gates.
Approximately 1,600 workers will be needed for construction at the project’s peak. Construction is set to span five years. Once the plant is operational, the company estimates that 250 people will support day-to-day activities, including plant security. It will be a boon to the economy and employment opportunities for Kemmerer and Lincoln County, Wyoming.
Upon completion, the Natrium demonstration plant will be a fully functioning commercial power plant. It is being constructed near a retiring coal-fired power plant near Kemmerer, in southwest Wyoming. It is the only coal-to-nuclear project under development in the world.
The project features a 345 MW sodium-cooled fast reactor with a molten salt-based energy storage system. The storage technology can boost the system’s output to 500 MW of power when needed, which is equivalent to the energy required to power around 400,000 homes. The energy storage capability allows the plant to integrate seamlessly with renewable resources and is the only advanced reactor design with this unique feature.
Earlier this year, TerraPower submitted its construction permit application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for the Natrium reactor. TerraPower is the first to submit its construction permit application for a commercial advanced reactor to the NRC. Due to its unique design, non-nuclear construction is beginning while nuclear construction will begin after this application is approved.
Through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP), a public-private partnership, this Natrium reactor demonstration project is intended to validate the design, construction and operational features of the Natrium technology.
TerraPower is a leading nuclear innovation company that strives to improve the world through nuclear energy and science. Since it was founded by Bill Gates and a group of like-minded individuals, TerraPower is an incubator and developer of ideas and technologies that offer energy independence, environmental sustainability, medical advancement, and other cutting-edge opportunities.
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