Presentation by Jeff Navin, Boundary Stone Partners (BSP) and TerraPower.
Australian Nuclear Association ANA2023 Conference, held Friday 6 October 2023 at the Aerial UTS Function Centre, Ultimo, NSW.
Introduced by Helen Cook, GNE Advisory.
Abstract: TerraPower is building a 345MWe sodium cooled fast reactor at the site of a coal plant slated to be retired near Kemmerer, Wyoming, USA. Natrium is a step-change advancement in nuclear technology and is specifically designed to meet the needs of a rapidly decarbonizing 21st century grid. Cooled by sodium, the Natrium reactor is inherently resistant to meltdown which allows for a simpler design that both increases safety and reduces cost.
In addition, the heat from the reactor is used to power a molten salt energy storage system, capable of storing up to 500MWe of power for five and a half hours. This makes Natrium a great compliment to grids with high penetrations of wind and solar. The Natrium project in Wyoming will utilize the workforce, transmission capabilities and water from the coal plant slated to be retired, providing a much-needed economic lifeline to a community that has generated power for the US for decades, and enjoys broad local support.
This presentation will give an overview of TerraPower, the Natrium technology, and the project being developed in Wyoming.