Bill Gates’ nuclear energy company is set to construct next-generation nuclear power plants in the US, with plans to commence building in Kemmerer, Wyoming, using liquid sodium cooling technology and aiming for operation by 2030.
Chris Levesque, CEO of TerraPower, told the Financial Times (FT) that his firm would start building at a site near a coal plant in Kemmerer, Wyoming, in June, even if the company hasn’t received a construction permit from regulators by then.
TerraPower was co-founded by Gates in 2006 and focuses on the development of advanced nuclear reactor designs, particularly traveling wave reactor technology. It further aims to create safer, more efficient, and more sustainable nuclear power solutions.
Bill Gates' nuclear energy company, TerraPower, plans to construct next-generation nuclear power plants in the US
Image credits: TerraPower
Levesque added that TerraPower aimed to have the nuclear plant operational by 2030, having secured $1 billion from investors.
TerraPower will reportedly use liquid sodium rather than water to cool its Natrium reactors, making them cheaper to run, Business Insider (BI) reported.
Most of the initial work at the Kemmerer site won’t be related to nuclear activity, as Levesque explained to the FT: “When you use liquid sodium as a coolant instead of water it’s a game changer.”
Image credits: TerraPower
The CEO added: “Natrium plants will cost half of what light water reactor plants cost … and we are moving our project along pretty aggressively.”
The company, which aims to provide a more environmentally friendly form of nuclear energy, is anticipating a cost of $4 billion for its Natrium reactor.
A Natrium reactor is an advanced nuclear reactor design developed by TerraPower, and it is a type of sodium-cooled fast reactor that utilizes liquid sodium as a coolant instead of water.
Construction should begin in Kemmerer, Wyoming, using liquid sodium cooling technology, aiming for operation by 2030
Image credits: Netflix
This unique combination will provide clean, flexible energy and stability, and it will integrate seamlessly into power grids with high penetrations of renewables, TerraPower states on its website.
About half its cost is expected to be met by the Department of Energy. CRV and Khosla Ventures are among the company’s VC backers, Reuters reported.
While Russian and Chinese state-controlled companies have already managed to launch smaller nuclear reactors, progress in developing similar tech in the US has stalled in recent years, BI reported.
The project prompted different reactions on social media
