– TerraPower, LLC is building a 345MW SMR in Wyoming, aiming at commercial operation by 2030
– Doosan Enerbility to position itself as a leading global SMR foundry
Doosan Enerbility will participate in the TerraPower’s first SMR project that has begun non-nuclear construction in Wyoming.
Doosan Enerbility announced that it had signed a contract with TerraPower for the manufacturability review and design support for three main SMR components including the Reactor Guard Vessel, Reactor Support Structure, and Core Barrel Structure. With this contract, Doosan Enerbility aims to begin the manufacturing of these components next year.
TerraPower has begun non-nuclear construction on the sodium test facility of the Natrium reactor in Wyoming, USA. TerraPower successfully submitted the application for the construction permit to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in March of this year, making TerraPower the first applicant among 4th generation* SMR developers in history to successfully submit an application for a commercial-scale advanced reactor. The developer held a groundbreaking ceremony in June. The project is progressing smoothly towards its 2030 commercial operation target, with financial support from the U.S. Department of Energy.
*Small modular reactors that use coolants other than water. Those include sodium-cooled fast reactors and high-temperature gas-cooled reactors, featuring advanced safety and economic efficiency.
Jongdoo Kim, the CEO of Doosan Enerbility Nuclear BG, said, “We are very proud to participate in TerraPower’s first SMR project, recognizing our excellent manufacturing capabilities,” and added, “We will further enhance our manufacturing capabilities to establish ourselves as a leading global SMR foundry.”
TerraPower, founded in 2008 by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, is developing a sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR), a type of 4th generation reactors. This technology operates by transferring heat generated from nuclear fission to liquid sodium coolant, which generates steam in the process to produce electricity. The technology also incorporates molten-salt thermal energy storage, a first in the industry.
▲Aerial view of TerraPower’s SMR plant in Wyoming, USA.
Source: Doosan Press Release
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