The Wyoming Industrial Siting Council has approved a construction permit for TerraPower’s Natrium nuclear power plant near Kemmerer, marking a key milestone for the advanced nuclear energy project spearheaded by Bill Gates’ company, Bridger Valley Pioneer reports.
While this state-level approval allows construction to begin on the plant’s non-nuclear components, the project still awaits final clearance from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for its nuclear facilities.
“This is the first state permit ever awarded to a commercial-scale advanced nuclear project and is a testament to the groundbreaking work of our TerraPower team,” said TerraPower President and CEO Chris Levesque in a prepared statement.
The state permit applies to all non-nuclear elements of the Kemmerer Power Station Unit 1 plant, including site preparation and infrastructure. TerraPower submitted its application to the NRC in March 2024 and anticipates federal approval by December 2026. The phased nature of the project allows construction of non-nuclear components to begin while the NRC reviews the nuclear aspects of the plant.
Wyoming’s Industrial Siting Council conducted a thorough analysis of the project’s environmental and socioeconomic impacts, incorporating measures to address concerns such as noise, nighttime lighting, and cultural resource preservation. The council will finalize its approval order within 45 days.
“The regulatory process to bring new nuclear plants to fruition is robust, and our team has been working relentlessly to successfully maneuver through a complicated, multi-jurisdictional environment to bring the first Natrium plant to market,” Levesque added.
The Natrium reactor, an advanced nuclear design, uses liquid sodium as a cooling medium and will generate a steady 345 megawatts of power, with the ability to surge to 500 megawatts during peak demand periods. The plant is expected to provide enough energy to power approximately 250,000 homes.
The project will use high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel, which TerraPower is sourcing from US-allied nations while the Department of Energy (DOE) works to establish a domestic supply chain.
The Kemmerer location was chosen in 2021 due to its proximity to the Naughton power plant, a coal-fired facility slated for conversion to natural gas. TerraPower aims to leverage existing infrastructure and employ local workers, cycling through various construction and engineering crews with employment peaking at 1,600 workers in 2028.
The $4 billion project, which is being developed in partnership with the DOE, includes $2 billion in federal funding. TerraPower hopes to bring the plant online by 2030, after pushing back the original 2028 timeline due to global supply chain disruptions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
