TerraPower has selected four companies to contract for supply services and equipment for their Natrium reactor demonstration project being developed in Kemmerer, Wyoming.
The Natrium demonstration plant project features a three hundred and forty-five megawatt sodium-cooled fast reactor with an energy storage system based on molten sodium-salt. This storage technology can temporarily boost the system’s output to five hundred megawatts when needed. This enables the plant to follow daily electrical load changes. It also integrates seamlessly with fluctuating renewable resources.
In November of 2021, Kemmerer was chosen as the preferred site for the demonstration project. The location is near the Naughton coal power plant. The old coal plant is due to be retired in 2025. It was selected after an extensive evaluation process and meetings with community members and leaders.
TerraPower is a company that is largely funded by Microsoft founder Bill Gates. It has now chosen four suppliers to support the Natrium demonstration project.
Western Services Corporation (WSC) has been contracted to provide the software platform and engineering services for the Natrium engineering simulator. TerraPower is developing the simulator to simulate normal operation and plant protective functions. WCS will provide services critical to its development.
James Fisher Technologies (JFT) will design and construct an injection casting furnace system that will be implemented in TerraPower’s Everett laboratory. It will demonstrate the basic functionality of the injection casting process.
BWXT Canada Limited will design the intermediate heat exchanger for the Natrium demonstration project. This is a critical component which transfers heat from the primary sodium in the primary heat transport system to the intermediate sodium in the intermediate heat transport system.
Curtiss-Wright Flow Control Service LLC (CWFCS) will develop the reactor protection system (RPS) for the demonstration project. The RPS will perform important safety functions in accordance with regulatory requirements. TerraPower said that this contract follows a phased approach including provisions of a prototype system, as well as, planning and engineering support. This will take place prior to the detailed design, manufacture, testing and delivery of the RPS.
Tara Neider is the Senior Vice President and Project Director for the Natrium Reactor Demonstration Project. She said, “Throughout the process of bringing the Natrium Reactor and Energy Storage System to market, we have found that working with a diverse supply chain strengthens our ability to deliver a cutting-edge technology. The commercialization of advanced reactors relies on the support of experts from various industries, and we look forward to collaborating with these suppliers to build the Natrium reactor.”
TerraPower noted the process of awarding contracts for the project was ongoing. It will continue to provide updates as additional contracts are awarded.
Last December, TerraPower stated that it expected operation of the Natrium demonstration reactor to be delayed by at least two years. The reason for the delay is that there will not be sufficient commercial capacity to manufacture high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel in time to mee the proposed 2028 in-service date.
However, last month TerraPower and Centrus Energy Corporation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to significantly expand their collaboration aimed at establishing commercial scale, U.S. production capabilities for HALEU to supply TerraPower’s novel Natrium reactor and energy storage system.