Signing Day for TerraPower Permit Marked as Historic Day for Nuclear Energy

Signing Day for TerraPower Permit Marked as Historic Day for Nuclear Energy

WASHINGTON D.C. — The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has signed a construction permit for TerraPower’s Natrium reactor in Kemmerer, marking what is being called a historic moment for nuclear energy in the U.S. “It’s an exciting time for the NRC and nuclear energy in the United States … I love that we’re celebrating this historic moment

Bill Gates’ TerraPower Finally Has a Permit for a Nuclear Reactor, but No Reliable Way to Fuel It.

“HALEU is not currently available from domestic suppliers, and gaps in supply could delay the deployment of advanced reactors,” the HALEU Availability Program website says. Filling the gap will involve “downblending”—or converting highly concentrated weapons-grade uranium into relatively low-concentration HALEU. This literally means dismantling warheads, melting the uranium, and rejiggering the concentration of the crucial fissile isotope.  Gizm…