Wyoming to build Gates-backed sodium-cooled reactor
TerraPower – the Bill Gates-founded nuclear company – and Warren Buffett-owned PacifiCorp are hooking up to build a Natrium reactor at a decommissioned coal plant in Wyoming.
The exact location of the demonstration plant is not expected to be announced until the end of 2021. And those behind the scheme recognise that the project is still at an early stage with further project evaluation required as well as state and federal regulatory approvals.
However, once up and running the demonstration project is billed as being a “fully functioning power plant… intended to validate the design, construction and operational features of the Natrium technology,” the company said in a statement.
The project is based around a 345 MW sodium-cooled fast reactor with a molten salt-based energy storage system. According to boffins, the storage technology can boost the system’s output to 500 MW of power for more than five-and-a-half hours when needed, which is equivalent to the energy required to power around 400,000 homes.
If all is well and good, the Natrium plant should be able to integrate with renewable resources and could lead to faster, more cost-effective decarbonization of electricity generation.
Those behind the scheme also hope that this approach should help to reduce the complexity of similar projects and shave costs and the amount of time it takes to construct.
Announcing the tie-up, Chris Levesque, president and CEO of TerraPower, said: “Together with PacifiCorp, we’re creating the energy grid of the future where advanced nuclear technologies provide good-paying jobs and clean energy for years to come. The Natrium technology was designed to solve a challenge utilities face as they work to enhance grid reliability and stability while meeting decarbonisation and emissions-reduction goals,” he added.
For those with a keen interest in leaner, greener power generation the announcement should spark plenty of interest and fuel some enlightened thought and discussion.
For those who like to read the runes differently, the fact that this plant is to be built on the site of an old coal mine in one of the US’ major coal-producing states will be enough to power a few grey cells – enough to raise a smile at least.
See more here: theregister.com
Header image: ResearchGate
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Joseph Olson
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replacing “Light Water” with Sodium (Na) does not hide the fact that this is another URANIUM power system with all of the same radioactive waste and terrorism issues.
“Atomic Suicide” > https://bitchute.com/video/JAXvEVyHP0Ot/
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Herb Rose
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Hi Joseph,
True, but it does add the additional danger of the liquid sodium metal coming into contact with water and causing an explosion.
Herb
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Alan
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It is still easier to dispose of the waste than it is to recycle old wind turbine places and solar panels.
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Charles Higley
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No mention of LFTR – Liquid Fluoride thorium reactors. They allow nuclear waste to be almost completely burned, are already liquid and thus cannot melt down, and are self-leveling to demand. We know they work but inflexible minds like Gates do not want to embrace the practical. He has the mind set of energy storage, which in itself going to be enormously complicated. When your molten salt storage solidifies, it is not easy to get it all moving again. LFTR would be much easier, cheaper, and not need any energy storage.
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Carbon Bigfoot
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How are they going to avoid the NRC 10 year permitting process? Don’t they have to have a proven technology pilot plant in place before the process begins? Others with Thorium reactors are still in the process of getting approvals or did I miss something?
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Herb Rose
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Hi Carbon,
Hmmm, How can Bill Gates avoid all the government regulations? Maybe he’ll just buy them like he did the NIH, FDA, WHO, FDC, Courts. I can’t decide if the name Gates should be a synonym for corruption or producing garbage, just as Quisling became a synonym for traitor. I’m surprised he doesn’t want to build a graphite nuclear plant like Chernobyl, that way he can depopulate the ciountry east of Wyoming.
Herb
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Alan
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Is Bill Gates now a world expert on everything, that is except how to design a virus free computer?
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Jerry Krause
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Hi Guys,
Why do your create a WORLD in which we need to FEAR so many things. Do you forget that Admiral Rickover’s nuclear submarines never had a nuclear accident. This because he carefully selected his nuclear engineers. We ignored that Madam Marie Curie spent years purifying the nuclear element found in pitchblend and lived to the good average age of 67 (I believe I remember). And I just read that she died of the physical problem that many women, who have never be espoused to such high levels of radiation for even a minute. Which natural cause is not fully understood or maybe a ‘cure’ could be invented.
FEAR, FEAR!! Is it news that we are all going to die at sometime???
Have a good day and don’t worry about that which your cannot prevent, Jerry
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Joseph Olson
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USS Thresher, SSN-593 was launched July 1960, exploded and sank April 10, 1963 with loss 9f all 129 crew. Admiral Hyman Rickover shutdown two 275 MW Thorium reactor power 0lants at Indian Shores, NY to force Uranium LWR.
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LLOYD
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Nothing wrong with Nukes when used correctly.
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