Wed 17 November 2021:
The TerraPower nuclear company, founded by Microsoft co-founder and known philanthropist Bill Gates, said that it has selected a 2,800 strong city in Wyoming as the site for its nuclear power plant pilot project.
The chosen location is near the Naughton Power Plant, which will retire its two remaining coal units in 2025.
“People across Wyoming welcomed us into their communities over the past several months, and we are excited to work with PacifiCorp to build the first Natrium plant in Kemmerer. Our innovative technology will help ensure the continued production of reliable electricity while also transitioning our energy system and creating new, good-paying jobs in Wyoming,” Chris Levesque, the company’s CEO, was quoted as saying in a statement.
According to the statement, the decision was taken after considering a number of variables, including the site’s physical features, community support, and access to existing infrastructure, among others.
The company is considering submitting to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a permit to begin construction on the project as early as mid-2023, with the plant expected to be operational within seven years. The construction process will require 2,000 people, with another 250 needed to keep the facility running on a daily basis, according to the statement.
The goal of the initiative is to put the Natrium technology to the test. A 345 MW sodium-cooled fast reactor with a molten salt-based energy storage technology is part of the project. This type of technology, if necessary, may boost the system’s output to 500 MW, enough to power 400,000 homes, according to the statement.
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