Part 1 of 5 Parts
GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) and TerraPower, the innovative nuclear startup backed by Bill Gates, are prepared to demonstrate what they call a “cost-competitive” advanced nuclear fission reactor system that will combine a three hundred and forty five megawatt sodium fast reactor (SFR) with a molten salt energy storage system under a unique energy system architecture.
This new advanced nuclear technology was developed under a joint development agreement. It is named “Natrium” which is the Latin word for sodium. It combines the TerraPower’s Traveling Wave Reactor (TWR) and GEH’s Prism technology. The companies said in an interview this month that they are boosting the TWR and PRISM integration with “additional innovations and improvements.”
The companies said that Natrium leverages “the breadth and depth of the team’s expertise and resources” by taking into account the work they have done on multiple reactor designs and efforts across the nuclear lifecycle. They said that the technology has moved beyond the research and development phase and is now ready for demonstration. TerraPower said “The demonstration plant is designed to be delivered in the next seven years. That means the Natrium technology will be available in the late 2020s,” which would make it one of the world’s first commercial advanced nuclear.
The key to the claim of cost-effectiveness is the tight energy system architecture which they say simplifies previous reactor types. A typical Natrium site will cover about forty-four acres with a nuclear island of about sixteen acres. TerraPower said, “When normalized to power rating, the Natrium system has a smaller footprint compared to other Generation IV reactors. Similarly, Natrium has a smaller footprint than most multi-unit plants with light water reactors operating today.” One benefit of a plant based on the Natrium technology is a significantly reduced emergency planning zone, “which allows it to be sited in many locations without affecting local population centers.”
The Natrium system design also involves fewer equipment interfaces which could significantly reduce the amount of nuclear grade concreate required by eighty percent when compared to bigger conventional reactors. TerraPower said, “Non-nuclear mechanical, electrical and other equipment will be housed in separate structures, reducing complexity and cost. The design is intended to permit significant cost savings by allowing major portions of the plant to be built to industrial standards.”
TerraPower and GEH are emphasizing cost reduction for their Natrium design because it is such an important consideration for commercial success in an expanding global small nuclear reactor (SMR) market. There are currently more than fifty SMR designs and concepts at different levels of technology readiness that are competing for first customers. The specific business model for Natrium takes into account shifting market needs and expectations. The International Atomic Energy Agency launched a three years economic appraisal for SMRs last March. At the time, they noted that “the market itself should be large enough to sustain demand for components and industrial support services. The economic impact of SMR development and deployment has to be quantified and communicated to gain societal support.”
Please read Part 2 next