Using Liquid Sodium Instead of Water as Coolant
Higher Boiling Point Than Water Increases Heat Absorption and Power Output
SK Corp. and SK Innovation Also Invest 340 Billion Won
TerraPower, a next-generation small modular reactor (SMR) company founded by Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft (MS), has begun construction of the first SMR in the United States.
According to the Associated Press on the 10th (local time), TerraPower held a groundbreaking ceremony for the next-generation SMR in Kemmerer, Wyoming. The reactor being built this time is rated at 345 MW and can produce up to 500 MW of electricity. This amount is enough to supply power to up to 400,000 households. TerraPower plans to complete and operate the SMR by 2030, replacing the existing coal-fired power plant in the area to supply electricity to local residents.
TerraPower’s sodium-cooled reactor is characterized by using liquid sodium as a coolant instead of water. The boiling point of liquid sodium (880 degrees Celsius) is higher than that of water (100 degrees Celsius), allowing it to absorb more heat and increase power output. Russia is currently known to be leading in this field. The AP noted, "The construction that began today is the preparation of the site to build the reactor as quickly as possible upon approval from the U.S. regulatory authority, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)." TerraPower applied for NRC approval to build the sodium-cooled reactor in March.
Bill Gates, who attended the event, said, "We are now standing on the foundation that will become the future of American energy," adding, "This is a significant step toward safe and abundant carbon-zero energy, and the success of such projects is important for the future of this country." Chris Levesque, CEO of TerraPower, also emphasized, "It is now time to transition to advanced nuclear technology that uses the latest computer modeling and physics for simple, cheaper, safer, and more efficient power plant designs."
Gates co-founded TerraPower in 2008 with the goal of producing safe and abundant clean energy without using carbon fuels in the private sector. In 2022, SK Inc. and SK Innovation attracted attention by investing $250 million (approximately 340 billion KRW) in TerraPower. The current TerraPower project is expected to cost up to $4 billion (approximately 5.5 trillion KRW), with half of the funding planned to be supported by the U.S. Department of Energy. CEO Levesque explained, "The cost includes initial expenses for reactor design and licensing," adding, "Future reactors will cost much less."
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