Why Bill Gates’ New Natrium Reactor is a Big Deal

Bill Gates has financed a nuclear reactor in Wyoming called the Natrium reactor, developed by TerraPower.

• The reactor is a sodium-cooled fast reactor that uses fast neutrons and can recycle nuclear waste, particularly plutonium.
• The reactor has a built-in energy storage system that transfers heat from sodium to molten chloride salt for later electricity generation.
• This energy storage allows the reactor to quickly ramp up and down electricity output, unlike conventional nuclear power plants.
• The reactor can park excess thermal energy in molten salt to even out grid fluctuations caused by wind and solar power.
• The reactor is designed to generate 345 megawatts and is set to begin operation by 2030.
• The project could position Natrium technology as a cornerstone in future energy infrastructure.

Researchers/sources featured:

• Bill Gates
• TerraPower