A Nod from the NRC
TerraPower, backed by Bill Gates, just snagged the first construction nod for a nuclear plant in nearly a decade. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) gave the green light for a site in Kemmerer, Wyoming. But don’t pop the champagne yet—this doesn’t mean they can actually turn it on.
The plant, a sodium-cooled wonder dubbed Natrium, is a radical departure from traditional reactors. It uses liquid sodium for cooling, which sounds cool until you remember sodium goes boom when it meets air or water. Oh, and it might eat some radioactive waste too. Yum.
Small but Mighty
Natrium is tiny compared to its nuclear cousins, clocking in at 345 megawatts. But it’s got a trick up its sleeve: energy storage. Instead of just boiling water, it stores heat in salt, ready to crank out power when renewables take a nap. It can even boost output to 500 MW if it feels like showing off.
Globally, sodium-cooled reactors are as rare as hen’s teeth. The US hasn’t dabbled in this since the 1960s, and the last one shut down in the 1990s. So, TerraPower’s venture is either a brilliant stroke of innovation or a daring leap into the unknown. Time will tell.
The Long Road Ahead
TerraPower picked the Kemmerer site back in 2021 and tossed their construction application into the NRC’s lap in early 2024. Thanks to the ADVANCE Act, which fast-tracks nuclear project approvals, the NRC zipped through the paperwork faster than expected.
The plant is part of a public-private gig under the Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program. With a completion target of 2030, it won’t help with the looming data center crunch. Plus, any hiccups could push the operational approval into a whole new administration. Good luck with that.
Quick Facts
- •💡 NRC approved TerraPower’s construction in Kemmerer, Wyoming.
- •💡 The Natrium reactor is sodium-cooled and can store energy.
- •💡 Natrium can output up to 500 MW with energy storage.
- •💡 Only 25 sodium-cooled reactors exist worldwide; none in US since 1990s.
- •💡 The plant aims for a 2030 completion, facing potential delays.