Bechtel breaks ground on $4B Bill Gates-backed nuclear reactor

Dive Brief:

• Reston, Virginia-based Bechtel justrecently broke ground in Kemmerer, Wyoming, on an advanced nuclear reactor that utilizes salt rather of water as a coolant, according to a June 10 news release from the specialist. 
• Bechtel is the engineering, procurement and buildingandconstruction partner on the task, understood as the Natrium Demonstration Project, for Bellevue, Washington-based TerraPower. The business, which is chaired by Microsoft creator Bill Gates, specializes in nuclear energy innovation. 
• The Associated Press reported in 2024 that the cost to construct Natrium would be up to $4 billion.

Dive Insight:

To start, buildingandconstruction on Natrium will be minimal to non-nuclear functions. Work will advance when the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission approves TerraPower’s allow for the center’s style, according to Utility Dive. 

At its peak, TerraPower declares the work will require 1,600 employees and period 5 years, leading to an ultimate operation date in 2029.

What sets Natrium apart from standard nuclear power plants is the method it will keep reactor temperaturelevels in check — the center will usage a sodium-based innovation to cool the reactor rather of water, which the majority of nuclear centers usage, according to the Department of Energy.

Liquid salt has a much greater boiling point than water at 882 degrees Celsius, compared to water’s 100 degrees Celsius mark, according to the American Nuclear Society. However, the society likewise keptinmind that liquid salt has an explosive response if it comes into contact with water.

Nevertheless, TerraPower and Bechtel haveactually identified the innovation as muchsafer than conventional, water-cooled styles. With this system, Bechtel declares that the center can supply tidy, base