TerraPower gets OK to start construction of its first nuclear plant
Ars Technica • • business
Key Points:
- The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has granted its first construction approval in nearly a decade to TerraPower for a new nuclear reactor site in Kemmerer, Wyoming, marking a crucial step for the company.
- TerraPower's Natrium reactor, developed with GE Hitachi, features a sodium-cooled fast-neutron design with integrated energy storage, allowing for flexible electricity generation and the potential to reduce radioactive waste.
- The reactor's innovative use of liquid sodium for cooling avoids high-pressure steam challenges but involves risks due to sodium's high reactivity with air and water.
- The project is part of the Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program and aims for completion by 2030, though it may face delays and will not meet near
