Bill Gates-backed nuclear energy firm Terrapower announced that it has received approval from the Wyoming Industrial Siting Council (ISC) on its permit for the first Natrium plant, Kemmerer Power Station Unit 1.
The approval will allow for the construction of non-nuclear facilities – including the energy island portion that houses the molten-salt energy storage tanks and turbines – of the Natrium plant.
The Natrium technology features an advanced nuclear design with a 345 MW sodium-cooled fast reactor with a gigawatt-scale molten salt-based energy storage system.
The energy storage capability allows the plant to integrate seamlessly with renewable resources and an overall increase in grid resiliency. Terrapower says that the Natrium plant is the only advanced reactor design with this unique feature.
Terrapower gets approval from Wyoming ISC
The approval from Wyoming ISC will allow for the construction of non-nuclear facilities for the Natrium plant.
With this permit, TerraPower will continue its construction schedule; and plans to start construction on both the Kemmerer Training Center and the energy island in 2025, as well as continue work on the sodium test and fill facility that began in 2024.
“This is the first state permit ever awarded to a commercial-scale advanced nuclear project and is a testament to the groundbreaking work of our TerraPower team,” said Chris Levesque, President and CEO of TerraPower.
“The regulatory process to bring new nuclear plants to fruition is robust, and our team has been working relentlessly to successfully maneuver through a complicated, multi-jurisdictional environment to bring the first Natrium plant to market. We greatly appreciate our relationship with the State of Wyoming, a leader in the energy industry and a model for the successful implementation of new energy projects.”
TerraPower is the first nuclear developer with a permit application for a commercial advanced reactor submitted to the NRC. The application was submitted in March 2024 and is on track, for the firm says it is on track for approval in December 2026.
The Natrium design enables the company to start non-nuclear construction onsite during the NRC review.
345 MW Natrium plant and HALEU
TerraPower is building this project through the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP). Upon completion, the Natrium plant will be a fully functioning commercial power plant, located near a retiring coal-fired power plant.
The storage technology can rapidly boost the system’s output to 500 MW for more than five and a half hours, as per an earlier press release from the company.
TerraPower claims that its Natrium technology is one of the fastest and lowest-cost paths to advanced, zero-carbon energy.
Earlier last year, the firm had signed an agreement with ASP Isotopes to produce high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) to help the development of the next generation of nuclear power plants in the US.
Under the agreement, TerraPower will invest in the construction of a HALEU enrichment facility in South Africa, utilizing ASP Isotopes’ innovative laser-based enrichment technology. In return, TerraPower will purchase HALEU produced at the facility, securing a vital resource for its Natrium reactors.
The US is reliant on Russia for nuclear fuel, and this posed a challenge for the US nuclear industry, especially after the invasion of Ukraine disrupted the supply chain.
