By Valerie Volcovici and Timothy Gardner
© Reuters/CHARLES PLATIAU FILE PHOTO:
Bill Gates arrives at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Billionaire Bill Gates' advanced nuclear reactor company TerraPower LLC and PacifiCorp have selected Wyoming to launch the first Natrium reactor project on the site of a retiring coal plant, the state's governor said on Wednesday.
TerraPower, founded by Gates about 15 years ago, and power company PacifiCorp, owned by Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway, said the exact site of the Natrium reactor demonstration plant is expected to be announced by the end of the year.Small advanced reactors, which run on different fuels than traditional reactors, are regarded by some as a critical carbon-free technology than can supplement intermittent power sources like wind and solar as states strive to cut emissions that cause climate change.
"This is our fastest and clearest course to becoming carbon negative," Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon said. "Nuclear power is clearly a part of my all-of-the-above strategy for energy" in Wyoming, the country's top coal-producing state.
The project features a 345 megawatt sodium-cooled fast reactor with molten salt-based energy storage that could boost the system's power output to 500 MW during peak power demand. TerraPower said last year that the plants would cost about $1 billion.
Late last year the U.S. Department of Energy awarded TerraPower $80 million in initial funding to demonstrate Natrium technology, and the department has committed additional funding in coming years subject to congressional appropriations.
Chris Levesque, TerraPower's president and CEO, said the demonstration plant would take about seven years to build.
"We need this kind of clean energy on the grid in the 2030s," he told reporters.
Nuclear power experts have warned that advanced reactors could have higher risks than conventional ones. Fuel for many advanced reactors would have to be enriched at a much higher rate than conventional fuel, meaning the fuel supply chain could be an attractive target for militants looking to create a crude nuclear weapon, a recent report https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/advanced-isnt-always-better said.
Levesque said that the plants would reduce proliferation risks because they reduce overall nuclear waste.
(Reporting by Valerie Volcovici and Timothy Gardner, writing by Timothy Gardner; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Marguerita Choy)
Bill Gates, Warren Buffett building nuclear reactor in nation's biggest coal-producing state
VIDEO An advanced nuclear reactor will be built in Wyoming.
The Natrium power plant is expected to be more fuel efficient, cost effective and safer than traditional nuclear reactors and could supplement existing renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.
“We think Natrium will be a game-changer for the energy industry,” Bill Gates said during a news conference Wednesday.
Wyoming’s governor said the nuclear plant would provide on-demand energy and significantly cut carbon emissions, as well as create hundreds of jobs in the state.
A next-generation nuclear power reactor that could bolster the nation’s transition to low-carbon energy will be built on the site of a retiring coal plant in Wyoming.
Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon (R) on Wednesday announced the state will house a Natrium reactor pilot project in partnership with nuclear reactor design company TerraPower, power company PacifiCorp and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
TerraPower was founded by Bill Gates about 15 years ago, and PacifiCorp is owned by Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway.
The project will feature a sodium-cooled fast reactor with a molten salt-based energy storage system capable of producing 345 megawatts of power. TerraPower says the storage technology could boost the system’s output to 500 megawatts of power for more than five-and-a-half hours when needed, enough energy to power about 400,000 homes.
TerraPower says the Natrium technology is more fuel efficient, cost effective and safer than traditional nuclear reactors and could supplement existing renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.
“We think Natrium will be a game-changer for the energy industry,” Gates said during a news conference Wednesday.
“Wyoming has been a leader in energy for over a century and we hope our investment in Natrium will help Wyoming to stay in the lead for many decades to come,” Gates said.
The exact location of the Natrium demonstration plant will be announced by the end of the year. TerraPower’s CEO Chris Levesque said the plant would take about seven years to build, according to Reuters.
“Together with PacifiCorp, we’re creating the energy grid of the future where advanced nuclear technologies provide good-paying jobs and clean energy for years to come,” Levesque said.
“The Natrium technology was designed to solve a challenge utilities face as they work to enhance grid reliability and stability while meeting decarbonization and emissions-reduction goals,” he said.
Wyoming’s governor said the nuclear plant would provide on-demand energy and significantly cut carbon emissions, as well as create hundreds of jobs in the state.
Wyoming is the nation’s top coal-producing state.
“We think Natrium will be a game-changer for the energy industry,” Bill Gates said during a news conference Wednesday.
Wyoming’s governor said the nuclear plant would provide on-demand energy and significantly cut carbon emissions, as well as create hundreds of jobs in the state.
A next-generation nuclear power reactor that could bolster the nation’s transition to low-carbon energy will be built on the site of a retiring coal plant in Wyoming.
Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon (R) on Wednesday announced the state will house a Natrium reactor pilot project in partnership with nuclear reactor design company TerraPower, power company PacifiCorp and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
TerraPower was founded by Bill Gates about 15 years ago, and PacifiCorp is owned by Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway.
The project will feature a sodium-cooled fast reactor with a molten salt-based energy storage system capable of producing 345 megawatts of power. TerraPower says the storage technology could boost the system’s output to 500 megawatts of power for more than five-and-a-half hours when needed, enough energy to power about 400,000 homes.
TerraPower says the Natrium technology is more fuel efficient, cost effective and safer than traditional nuclear reactors and could supplement existing renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.
“We think Natrium will be a game-changer for the energy industry,” Gates said during a news conference Wednesday.
“Wyoming has been a leader in energy for over a century and we hope our investment in Natrium will help Wyoming to stay in the lead for many decades to come,” Gates said.
The exact location of the Natrium demonstration plant will be announced by the end of the year. TerraPower’s CEO Chris Levesque said the plant would take about seven years to build, according to Reuters.
“Together with PacifiCorp, we’re creating the energy grid of the future where advanced nuclear technologies provide good-paying jobs and clean energy for years to come,” Levesque said.
“The Natrium technology was designed to solve a challenge utilities face as they work to enhance grid reliability and stability while meeting decarbonization and emissions-reduction goals,” he said.
Wyoming’s governor said the nuclear plant would provide on-demand energy and significantly cut carbon emissions, as well as create hundreds of jobs in the state.
Wyoming is the nation’s top coal-producing state.
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