- First US approval for reactor to run on more enriched fuel
- TerraPower expects construction in weeks, operations in 2030
- Company to apply for operating license late 2027/early 2028
US approves construction of Bill Gates-backed nuclear reactor in Wyoming
WASHINGTON, March 4 (Reuters) - The U.S. nuclear regulator said on Wednesday it approved construction for the Bill Gates-backed TerraPower small nuclear reactor in Wyoming, the first approval for a plant expected to run on a special, more-enriched uranium fuel.
The approval, the first for a commercial reactor by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in nearly a decade, was for TerraPower's planned 345-megawatt sodium-cooled reactor to be built in Kemmerer, in the western part of the state. It is expected to be operational in the early 2030s.
Pritzker seeks to bring more nuclear power to Illinois
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) signed an executive order this week that will focus on new nuclear generation with a goal of adding at least 2 gigawatts or 2,000 megawatts.
According to the Wednesday order, Pritzker called for the Illinois Power Agency and Illinois Commerce Commission to consult with other agencies and issue a notice of inquiry (NOI) to nuclear companies to build new in-state nuclear generation.
Inside TerraPower’s World-First Nuclear Project Being Built Just Outside Kemmerer
Work is progressing fast just outside Kemmerer at TerraPower’s first-of-its-kind nuclear power project. Cowboy State Daily went on a tour to get an inside look at the 167-foot-tall facility that will stress-test massive Natrium reactor components.
The first thing a visitor to TerraPower’s site in Wyoming will notice is just how tiny the company’s rapidly rising Test and Fill Facility is rising up against the surrounding snow-dusted hillsides.
From a distance, the steel beams look terribly tiny, like breakable matchsticks that a strong Wyoming wind could come along and blow away.
DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy Awards $19 Million to Advance Recycling of Used Nuclear Fuel
The Office of Nuclear Energy today awarded over $19 million to five U.S. companies to research and develop recycling technologies for used nuclear fuel.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy today awarded over $19 million to five U.S. companies to research and develop recycling technologies for used nuclear fuel. Projects will support President Trump’s bold and ambitious nuclear energy agenda by helping to maximize reliable power production, end U.S. reliance on foreign sources of enriched uranium, and drastically reducing the volume of used fuel stored across the country.
Exclusive: Bezos fund backs nuclear initiative with $3.5M grant
Jeff Bezos' climate philanthropy is staking efforts to pave the way for building at least 10 new U.S. nuclear reactors.
Why it matters: The $3.5 million grant to the nonprofit Nuclear Scaling Initiative envisions an "orderbook" that "brings together multiple buyers to commit to building the same reactor design."
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