TerraPower began as a series of explorations related to many energy technologies. Out of these explorations came an advanced nuclear energy solution that presents a new path toward an affordable, safe form of carbon-free energy.
Traveling Wave Reactor
TerraPower’s traveling wave reactor (TWR) will offer a path to zero-emission, proliferation-resistant energy that 
produces significantly smaller amounts of nuclear waste than conventional nuclear reactors. After an initial start-up with a small amount of low-enriched material, this innovative reactor design can run for decades on depleted uranium – currently a waste byproduct of the enrichment process. An established fleet of TWRs could operate without enrichment or reprocessing for millennia. TerraPower has explored the advanced physics of this concept in detail with 21st-century computational tools and is moving forward with the overall plant design.
An Innovative Reactor Design
In this video, TerraPower CEO John Gilleland gives a basic explanation of the traveling wave reactor (TWR) technology and how the TWR turns depleted uranium into fuel.
Leadership
TerraPower is led by John Gilleland. It was formed from an effort initiated in 2007 by Nathan Myhrvold’s company, Intellectual Ventures®.The company includes expert staff and individual consultants who have worked for some of the most prestigious nuclear laboratories and engineering companies in the world.