☢️ Bill Gates invests in next-generation nuclear power in Wyoming

☢️ Bill Gates invests in next-generation nuclear power in Wyoming

Bill Gates and his energy company TerraPower are starting the construction of an advanced nuclear power plant in Wyoming. The project uses sodium for cooling instead of water, making it safer and more efficient. The plant is estimated to cost up to 4 billion dollars.

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  • Bill Gates and his energy company TerraPower are starting the construction of an advanced nuclear power plant in Wyoming.
  • The project uses sodium for cooling instead of water, making it safer and more efficient.
  • The plant is estimated to cost up to 4 billion dollars, with half financed by the US Department of Energy.

Groundbreaking nuclear technology

Bill Gates and his energy company TerraPower have begun the construction of an advanced nuclear power plant in the small town of Kemmerer, Wyoming, reports the AP.

The project uses sodium for cooling instead of water, which is a significant change in nuclear technology. If the plant is approved, it will operate as a commercial nuclear power plant and supply fossil-free energy to PacifiCorp's Naughton Power Plant.

Reduced carbon emissions

PacifiCorp plans to stop using coal as fuel in 2026 and natural gas a decade later. TerraPower's reactor is estimated to generate up to 500 megawatts, enough to power up to 400,000 households.

Chris Levesque, CEO of TerraPower, believes it is time to transition to advanced nuclear technology. The new design uses modern computer modeling and physics to create a simpler, safer, and more cost-effective plant.

The cost of the TerraPower project is estimated at 4 billion dollars, with half coming from the US Department of Energy. Initial costs include design and licensing, making future plants significantly cheaper.

Innovation in fuel

Most advanced nuclear reactors in the US use a type of fuel called high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU). This fuel has a higher percentage of the isotope uranium-235 than the fuel used in conventional reactors. Due to reliance on Russian fuel, TerraPower has postponed its launch in Wyoming to 2030 and is now working to develop alternative supply sources in collaboration with other companies and the US Department of Energy.

Future energy solutions

TerraPower was founded in 2008 by Bill Gates to advance nuclear power and offer safe, abundant, and fossil-free energy. The first generation of TerraPower reactors will focus on delivering electricity, but the company envisions a future where reactors can also be built near industrial factories to supply high heat. Almost all industrial processes that require high heat use fossil fuels today, but with heat from advanced reactors, it is possible to produce hydrogen, petrochemicals, ammonia, and fertilizers.

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