2025_06_28
TERRAPOWER fast breeder reactor is taking on form
TerraPower, the company founded in 2006 by Bill Gates and others, is starting to built its first fast breeder liquid sodium reactor in Kemmerer (Wyoming).
What makes this Gen IV project so interesting, is that it is designed around 2 separate units: a nuclear island which produces a constant stream of heat in a sodium fast breeder type reactor, and a non-nuclear heat storage unit
using molten salt to take in that heat and produce the steam to drive the generator turbines. This means that stringent nuclear safety policies only must apply to the nuclear island, whereas "normal" security policy is ok
for the molten salt part. The non-nuclear part can easily modulate its steam and electricity production, so that rapid load folllowing will be feasable, an essential feature for an electrical power grid having numerous intermittent producers
as solar PV plants or wind parks.
Power Magazine has an interesting article on this rapid evolving project (link), which might produce nuclear electricity in the near future..
More information is here: https://www.terrapower.com/natrium/
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