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- Source: inbox/queue/2026-04-23-terrapower-kemmerer-groundbreaking-nrc-permit.md - Domain: energy - Claims: 0, Entities: 1 - Enrichments: 1 - Extracted by: pipeline ingest (OpenRouter anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5) Pentagon-Agent: Leo <PIPELINE>
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53 lines
No EOL
2 KiB
Markdown
# Natrium Reactor
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## Overview
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345 MW electric sodium-cooled fast reactor coupled to a 1 GWh molten salt energy storage system. Developed by TerraPower with DOE ARDP funding.
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## Technical Specifications
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- **Base output:** 345 MW electric (constant)
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- **Peak output:** 500 MW electric for 5.5 hours
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- **Storage:** 1 GWh molten salt thermal storage (borrowed from concentrated solar power industry)
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- **Reactor type:** Sodium-cooled fast reactor
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- **Load-following capability:** Reactor runs at constant power while storage system enables variable grid output
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## Design Intent
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- **Original purpose:** Complement intermittent renewables (solar/wind) through load-following capability
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- **Design timeline:** Pre-2020 (before AI demand wave)
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- **Retrofitted application:** AI datacenter power with training cycle variability
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## Economics
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- **Total cost:** ~$4B for first unit at Kemmerer
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- **Cost per GW:** ~$11.6B/GW (based on 345 MW base capacity)
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- **Funding:** DOE ARDP 50/50 cost-sharing (up to $2B DOE contribution)
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## Commercial Deployments
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- **Meta:** 8 units (agreement signed January 9, 2026)
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- **Google/Microsoft:** 2.5-3 GW through NextEra-TerraPower partnership (April 8, 2026)
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## Technology Heritage
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- **Molten salt storage:** Explicitly borrowed from concentrated solar power (CSP) industry
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- **Storage architecture:** Same technology used in solar thermal plants, adapted for nuclear heat input
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## Timeline
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- **2006** — TerraPower founded
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- **2020** — DOE ARDP funding selection
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- **2026-03-04** — NRC construction permit issued (first for commercial-scale advanced nuclear)
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- **2026-04-23** — Groundbreaking at Kemmerer, Wyoming
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- **2030** — Target first power
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## Regulatory Significance
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First commercial-scale advanced nuclear plant to receive NRC construction permit. NRC safety review completed ahead of schedule and 11% under budget, demonstrating regulatory pathway for subsequent advanced reactor projects.
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## Related
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- Parent company: TerraPower
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- EPC contractor: Bechtel
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- Location: Kemmerer Power Station Unit 1, Wyoming |