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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, Yasushi Okano, Mamoru Konomura, Koji Sato, Naoki Sawa, Hiroyuki Sumita, Shigeyuki Nakanishi, Masato Ando
Nuclear Technology | Volume 159 | Number 3 | September 2007 | Pages 267-278
Technical Paper | Fission Reactors | doi.org/10.13182/NT07-A3875
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A small modular fast reactor is thought to be one of the solutions to meet future energy security with low research and development (R&D) risk. In the present study, a new small reactor concept for a modular power source is proposed. A minimum configuration with a compact reactor vessel, one-loop main cooling system, and simple fuel-handling system is adopted, enhancing cost reduction. In the present one-loop main cooling system, there are double electromagnetic pumps in series considering pump failure. To show the reliability of the one-loop main cooling system, pipe-break transient analyses have been carried out. In addition, the construction cost of a set of a first-of-a-kind reactor and small fuel cycle plant is evaluated to show the economical potential at the demonstration stage. A major advantage of the present concept is that the demonstration reactor and fuel cycle plant can be directly appropriated for first commercial modules and the power plant can easily increase its capacity adding reactor and electrorefiner modules. Commercialization of the nuclear fuel cycle fusing the present modular concept is thought to reduce R&D risk since the total budget for demonstration is small and the facilities for demonstration are directly appropriated to commercial use.