"TerraPower is one of several companies racing to build smaller, more efficient reactors to augment electrical grids under strain from AI data centers. In a 2024 interview with The Verge, Bill Gates said that he also believes nuclear energy can help solve the climate crisis by using designs that minimize the problem in terms of their safety or fuel use or how they handle waste."
"Unlike conventional water-cooled nuclear plants, the 345 megawatt Natrium design used by TerraPower utilizes liquid sodium to reduce shielding costs and operate at lower pressures. TerraPower's plant also features a unique molten salt-based energy storage system that allows it to easily boost power output to 500 megawatts when demand spikes."
TerraPower, founded by Bill Gates, has obtained Nuclear Regulatory Commission approval to construct a next-generation nuclear reactor in Wyoming—the first commercial-scale advanced nuclear plant to receive federal permit and the first commercial reactor built in the US in nearly a decade. Construction is projected to complete by 2030. The facility addresses growing electrical grid strain from AI data centers. TerraPower's Natrium design uses liquid sodium cooling instead of water, reducing shielding costs and operating at lower pressures. The plant includes a molten salt-based energy storage system enabling power output to increase from 345 megawatts to 500 megawatts during peak demand periods. Advanced nuclear technology is positioned as a climate solution through improved safety, fuel efficiency, and waste management.
Read at The Verge
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