Bill Gates-backed nuclear reactor wins US approval

US regulators have approved the construction of a new nuclear reactor - backed by Bill Gates - in Wyoming, marking the first commercial reactor permit issued by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in nearly a decade.

The facility, developed by TerraPower, a startup founded by Bill Gates in 2015 and backed by Nvidia, will be built near an ageing coal power plant in Kemmerer. The company plans to begin construction in the coming weeks, with operations expected to start in the early 2030s, according to reports by Reuters and TechCrunch on the matter.

The Natrium reactor differs from most existing nuclear plants in both scale and design. It will generate 345 megawatts of power, about two-thirds less than modern full-size reactors, but includes an energy storage system that can temporarily boost output to 500 megawatts. Unlike conventional water-cooled reactors, Natrium uses molten sodium for cooling, a design TerraPower says should be safer.

As per the reports, this marks the first time in more than 40 years the NRC has approved a commercial reactor not cooled by regular water. The reactor will store excess heat in large, insulated tanks of molten sodium, allowing it to fill gaps in wind and solar output while keeping operating costs lower.

The reactor will run on high-assay low-enriched uranium, or HALEU, a fuel enriched up to nearly 20% compared to the 5% used in traditional reactors. The fuel, traditionally produced in Russia, has raised non-proliferation concerns, with advocates pushing for enrichment limits to prevent supply chain risks, adds the reports.

TerraPower is one of several nuclear startups backed by tech companies responding to growing electricity demand from data centres. The sector has attracted more than $1 billion in investment recently, with TerraPower raising $1.7 billion to date.

Despite the momentum, nuclear power faces economic challenges. Solar, wind, and batteries have become significantly cheaper, and while startups hope factory manufacturing will cut costs, the savings typically take at least a decade to materialise, explains the TechCrunch report.