Released November 10, 2025 | GALWAY, IRELAND
Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)
Summary
Billionaire Bill Gates' TerraPower has picked the U.K. as its first potential international market outside of the U.S. for its Natrium sodium-cooled fast reactor with a molten salt-based energy storage system.
TerraPower Targets U.K. with Mini-Nuclear Power Tech
TerraPower (Bellevue, Washington), the mini-nuclear power innovation company founded by tech mogul Bill Gates, has chosen the U.K. as its first international market.
The company has submitted its Natrium reactor design to the U.K.'s Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process, which is in charge of approving all nuclear power designs before use in the country. The 345-megawatt (MW) Natrium reactor differs from most of the industry's water-based reactors being pushed in the small modular reactor (SMR) space,by being a sodium-cooled fast reactor with a molten salt-based energy storage system. According to TerraPower, the storage technology can boost the system's output to 500 MW for more than five and a half hours when needed. TerraPower labels Natrium an 'advanced reactor' as opposed to an SMR and said that this is the company's first regulatory step to deploying the Natrium technology in an international market.
TerraPower's Global Expansion
"This submission marks a substantial step towards bringing the revolutionary Natrium reactor and energy storage system to the United Kingdom," said Chris Levesque, TerraPower president and chief executive officer. "TerraPower is committed to delivering Natrium units across the globe, and our industry-leading regulatory team is setting the standard on how to license and deploy advanced nuclear technologies. We look forward to working with the U.K. government as we work through the review process."
Natrium's Progress in the U.S.
TerraPower has been working through the U.S approval process in advance of constructing its first Natrium plant. Most recently, the company received environmental clearance for its planned Natrium reactor in Wyoming from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). It said: "Kemmerer Unit 1 is now the first advanced reactor technology to successfully complete an environmental impact statement for the NRC." For additional information, see October 28, 2025, article - NRC Greenlights Sodium-Cooled, Molten-Salt Reactor System.
Why The U.K.?
The U.K. is one of the most supportive countries for the budding SMR sector. The country is implementing an aggressive revival of its nuclear power sector with active support for both large and small nuclear technologies. This summer, Industrial Info reported that engineering firm Rolls-Royce (London, England) was chosen by the U.K. government to build the country's first SMR plants, following the first competition for small nuclear technology. After a two-year assessment process, Rolls-Royce beat competition from rivals Holtec International (Jupiter, Florida), GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy International (Wilmington, North Carolina) and Westinghouse Electric Company (Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania). The government has announced £2.5 billion (US$3.4 billion) for its SMR programme over the next four years. For additional information, see June 24, 2025, article--U.K. Picks Rolls-Royce for First Mini-Nuclear Plants.
Key Takeaways
- TerraPower has picked the U.K. as the first international market for its mini-nuclear power tech
- Its Natrium sodium-cooled fast reactor is edging its way closer to full approval in the U.S.
- The U.K. is aggressively supporting SMR technology, with Rolls-Royce leading the way to building its first plant
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).
