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Released October 28, 2025 | SUGAR LAND
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Written by Eric Funderburk, Senior Editor
Summary
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission recently issued the environmental impact statement for construction of TerraPower's advanced nuclear reactor in Wyoming, easing the way for similar reactors in other states.
The Natrium reactor differs from most other reactor designs in its use of a sodium-based cooling system, which according to the company, allows the reactor to operate at lower pressures than water-based reactors, reducing the risk of meltdown. The reactor itself can generate up 345 MW, but it also incorporates a molten-salt-based energy storage system, which can bdeployed as needed at a capacity of up to 500 MW.
The NRC's positive environmental impact statement is an important milestone in facilitating the buildout of the first on-grid Natrium unit in Lincoln County, Wyoming, named Kemmerer 1 after the city where it will be located. The full construction permit is expected to be issued next year, paving the way for most remaining aspects of construction and putting the plant on track to begin generating power in the early 2030s based on how its development timeline unfolds. Construction on non-nuclear parts of the facility, which is being built on the site of a retired coal-fired plant, began last year.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project Database can learn more by viewing the project report.
While executive orders from U.S. President Donald Trump have taken steps to speed up the process of reactor approval and plant construction, a Natrium unit in Kansas probably wouldn't begin generating power until the mid-2030s at the earliest. But construction permit requests for other SMRs have made their way into the NRC's approval queue.
The BWRX-300 may have a leg up on other SMRs as Canada has selected the model for up to four SMR deployments at the Darlington nuclear power plant in Bowmanville, Ontario. Construction of the first unit was approved by Ontario authorities in May, and in September the federal government selected the project as one of the first to be "fast-tracked" through the permitting process as the country seeks to get it and other major projects out of the planning stage and turning dirt as soon as possible. Subscribers can click here to learn more about the addition of the first SMR unit and click here for the report on the three other potential SMR deployments.
The environmental approval for the TerraPower project, along with other applications for both construction, such as TVA's Clinch River request, or reactor design, such as the 77-MW NuScale SMR approved by the NRC in May, demonstrate that newer nuclear technologies, operating at smaller capacities and encompassing smaller plant footprints, cheaper construction costs and faster deployment timelines, represent one of the most significant available forms of additional baseload generation for the future.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Database can click here to view reports for all of the projects discussed in this article and click here for the related plant profiles.
Key Takeaways
About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
Summary
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission recently issued the environmental impact statement for construction of TerraPower's advanced nuclear reactor in Wyoming, easing the way for similar reactors in other states.
Natrium Reactor is Approved for Wyoming
Bill Gates-backed TerraPower (Bellevue, Washington) last week received environmental clearance for its planned Natrium reactor in Wyoming from the U.S. Nuclear Power Commission (NRC). Labeled by the company as an "advanced reactor" rather than a small modular reactor (SMR), TerraPower's Natrium reactor features a 345-megawatt (MW) sodium-cooled reactor design, differing from typical water-based reactors, and uses molten salt for thermal energy storage capable of generating up to 500 MW of additional power when needed. The approval paves the way for additional Natrium construction in other U.S. states and suggests that approvals of other new nuclear construction in the U.S. may be on the way.The Natrium reactor differs from most other reactor designs in its use of a sodium-based cooling system, which according to the company, allows the reactor to operate at lower pressures than water-based reactors, reducing the risk of meltdown. The reactor itself can generate up 345 MW, but it also incorporates a molten-salt-based energy storage system, which can bdeployed as needed at a capacity of up to 500 MW.
The NRC's positive environmental impact statement is an important milestone in facilitating the buildout of the first on-grid Natrium unit in Lincoln County, Wyoming, named Kemmerer 1 after the city where it will be located. The full construction permit is expected to be issued next year, paving the way for most remaining aspects of construction and putting the plant on track to begin generating power in the early 2030s based on how its development timeline unfolds. Construction on non-nuclear parts of the facility, which is being built on the site of a retired coal-fired plant, began last year.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project Database can learn more by viewing the project report.
Development in Other States
While the Kemmerer 1 unit would be the first commercial deployment of a Natrium reactor, it may not take too long for TerraPower to install its technology in other states, including Kansas, where the company last month got the ball rolling for potential Natrium deployment. In late September, TerraPower, the Kansas Department of Commerce and utility Evergy (Kansas City, Missouri) signed a memorandum of understanding to site a Natrium reactor within Evergy's Kansas service territory. No specific locations have been chosen yet, and various Kansas locales have expressed interest in hosting the project, with Coffey and Lyon counties passing various resolutions and beginning studies to support the project earlier this month. Coffey County is home to the 1,200-MW Wolf Creek nuclear power plant, where a Natrium unit possibly could be included as an additional generating unit. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project report.While executive orders from U.S. President Donald Trump have taken steps to speed up the process of reactor approval and plant construction, a Natrium unit in Kansas probably wouldn't begin generating power until the mid-2030s at the earliest. But construction permit requests for other SMRs have made their way into the NRC's approval queue.
Other Reactors Advance
In July, the NRC announced it had accepted a construction permit request from Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) (Knoxville, Tennessee) to place an SMR at its Clinch River site in Tennessee. The SMR deployed in this project would be GE Vernova Hitachi's (Wilmington, North Carolina) BWRX-300 reactor, a water-cooled design with a 300-MW generating capacity. (See project report.)The BWRX-300 may have a leg up on other SMRs as Canada has selected the model for up to four SMR deployments at the Darlington nuclear power plant in Bowmanville, Ontario. Construction of the first unit was approved by Ontario authorities in May, and in September the federal government selected the project as one of the first to be "fast-tracked" through the permitting process as the country seeks to get it and other major projects out of the planning stage and turning dirt as soon as possible. Subscribers can click here to learn more about the addition of the first SMR unit and click here for the report on the three other potential SMR deployments.
The environmental approval for the TerraPower project, along with other applications for both construction, such as TVA's Clinch River request, or reactor design, such as the 77-MW NuScale SMR approved by the NRC in May, demonstrate that newer nuclear technologies, operating at smaller capacities and encompassing smaller plant footprints, cheaper construction costs and faster deployment timelines, represent one of the most significant available forms of additional baseload generation for the future.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Database can click here to view reports for all of the projects discussed in this article and click here for the related plant profiles.
Key Takeaways
- The NRC has approved construction of TerraPower's Natrium advanced nuclear reactor in Wyoming
- The approval helps open the door for other Natrium deployments, with Kansas being a leading contender
- The NRC is considering approvals for other reactor designs and SMR sites, including a TVA site in Tennesee
About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
