Gates-Backed Nuclear Developer Nears Construction on Reactor
(Bloomberg) -- TerraPower LLC expects to begin construction on a next-generation nuclear reactor in Wyoming by the second quarter after completing key regulatory steps.
The company, founded by billionaire Bill Gates, expects the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to issue a construction permit by February for its 345-megawatt reactor, Chief Executive Officer Chris Levesque said in an interview Tuesday. The agency completed safety reviews for the project Monday and an environmental impact statement in October.
TerraPower is part of a wave of companies pursuing advanced reactor designs amid surging demand for electricity that’s spurred a boom in support for fission power. Its Natrium system will use molten salt as a coolant, a shift that Levesque said will help make it make his product significantly cheaper than conventional nuclear plants that use pressurized water. TerraPower began construction in mid-2024 on non-nuclear parts of the plant, which he expects to go into commercial service in 2031.
“This is the major green signal,” Levesque said. “We expect to see actual construction early next year.”
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