TerraPower awards contracts for SMR simulator, radiation monitoring systems
Aiming to deploy the nation's first small modular reactor, TerraPower has announced contracts for the final long-lead items needed for its Natrium unit, currently under construction in Wyoming.
“TerraPower is the first company making major procurement selections for the next generation of nuclear power,” said Chris Levesque, TerraPower’s president and chief executive, in a February 13 news release that announced contractor awards for the company’s training simulator, distributed control solutions, radiation monitoring system, and more.
“In addition to all the procurements awarded over the last 18 months, [these contracts] align us with experienced suppliers who are committed to bringing the first Natrium reactor and energy storage system to market,” Levesque continued.
TerraPower’s Natrium reactor is a 345-MW sodium fast reactor coupled with the company’s molten salt energy storage system, providing built-in gigawatt-scale energy storage. The company plans to deploy a demonstration plant in Kemmerer, Wyo., near the site of a retiring coal facility. The Natrium unit is being built through a public-private partnership between TerraPower and the Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program.
The most recent supplier awards include the following recipients:
- James Fisher Technologies, headquartered in Loveland, Colo., will design and fabricate the sodium cover gas and test and fill facility filter skids, which are composed of special application equipment in addition to standard components used within radioactive gas processing systems in the nuclear industry. The primary functions of the filter skids are to house and support vapor traps, cesium, and various aerosol filters and to align and isolate gas streams in the appropriate exhaust systems.
- Mirion Technologies Inc., headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., will supply the radiation monitoring system (RMS) and the nuclear instrumentation system (XIS). The RMS is composed of area, effluent, and process radiation monitors that monitor plant radiation levels. The XIS provides instrumentation and detection of reactor power levels.
- Curtiss-Wright, headquartered in North Carolina, will design and deliver the training simulator and will supply the distributed control systems for the Natrium reactor. The full-scope training simulator, which will be housed at the Kemmerer training center, will replicate plant equipment and simulate system conditions and operations to support operator training and licensing. The distributed control systems platform serves as a core component for automating control and operation of plant processes.
Quotable: “We are excited to support TerraPower in the development of their next-generation Natrium reactor design,” said Lynn M. Bamford, chair and chief executive of Curtiss-Wright Corporation, in a news release. “Curtiss-Wright continues to build on its heritage as one of the leading global suppliers of nuclear reactor technologies, growing both organically and through acquisitions, and we remain in a strong position to support TerraPower in their efforts to decarbonize the existing energy infrastructure through the creation of clean, reliable, and affordable energy.”
In other news: The NRC recently informed TerraPower that its draft safety evaluation for its construction permit application is complete, one month ahead of schedule. In the same communication, the NRC said, “The environmental review is scheduled for completion in May 2026; and the overall resource estimate remains on track.”
