Bill Gates’ nuclear firm Terrapower fears falling behind in Small Nuclear Reactor race.

A row is brewing between a nuclear energy company founded by Bill Gates and the
UK government over fears it may be sidelined from a £1 billion competition
to build new small power plants. The billionaire is the chairman of Terrapower, which fears exclusion from the race to build the next generation of reactors over questions about its fuel source, according to people familiar with the matter.

In May, The Sunday Times revealed that
Terrapower had joined the likes of Rolls Royce, GE-Hitachi and Bechtel in
the running to manufacture Britain’s future nuclear infrastructure. But
Terrapower is concerned that the government is prioritising so-called small
modular reactors designed by its rivals, rather than Terrapower’s model,
which uses more innovative technology and is classed as an “advanced
modular reactor”, sources said.

Terrapower’s reactor, called Natrium,
uses high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) as fuel. Officials are said to
be concerned that it does not have reliable supplies to import at scale, as
most of it is produced in Russia. A government spokesman said: “Great
British Nuclear is assessing the bids received as part of the latest phase
of the competition launched earlier this year and will announce an update
in due course.”

Times 24th Sept 2023

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/bill-gates-nuclear-firm-terrapower-fears-falling-behind-in-smr-race-6l5txvlz2

September 26, 2023 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Small Modular Nuclear Reactors