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NRC approves TerraPower construction permit
Today, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced that it has approved TerraPower’s construction permit application for Kemmerer Unit 1, the company’s first deployment of Natrium, its flagship sodium fast reactor.
This approval is a significant milestone on three fronts. For TerraPower, it represents another step forward in demonstrating its technology. For the Department of Energy, it reflects progress (despite delays) for the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP). For the NRC, it is the first approval granted to a commercial reactor in nearly a decade—and the first approval of a commercial non–light water reactor in more than 40 years.
Yoshitaka Chikazawa, Kazumi Aoto, Hiroki Hayafune, Shoji Kotake, Yushi Ohno, Takaya Ito, Mikio Toda
Nuclear Technology | Volume 179 | Number 3 | September 2012 | Pages 360-373
Technical Paper | Fission Reactors | doi.org/10.13182/NT179-360
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Key technologies for Japan Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (JSFR) have been evaluated. The ten technologies - high-burnup core, safety enhancement, compact reactor vessel, two-loop cooling system using high-chromium steel, integrated intermediate heat exchanger/pump component, reliable steam generator, natural-circulation decay heat removal system, simplified fuel handling system, containment vessel made of steel plate-reinforced concrete, and advanced seismic isolation system - have been confirmed to be ready for installation to a conceptual design of demonstration JSFR and large-scale demonstration experiments.