TerraPower Takes Major Step Forward in UK Deployment with launch of TerraPower UK and Start of GDA Step 1 for Natrium® Reactor
American advanced nuclear company strengthens UK presence and names head of TerraPower UK, advancing efforts to deliver clean power to the British grid
BELLEVUE, WA – June 16, 2026 – TerraPower, a nuclear innovation company, today announced major milestones in its United Kingdom deployment program: the formal commencement of the UK regulatory review for its Natrium plant, and the launch of its subsidiary, TerraPower UK Ltd. These regulatory and commercial activities mark the company’s most significant steps to date toward deploying a fleet of Natrium reactors in the United Kingdom.
“TerraPower is entering the UK market with a long-term commitment to supporting the nation’s clean energy future and establishing ourselves as a serious and reliable deployment partner,” said Chris Levesque, President and CEO of TerraPower. “Starting Step 1 of the GDA process and establishing TerraPower UK mark major advances in our mission to bring the Natrium technology to Britain. These milestones demonstrate TerraPower’s dedication to working alongside the UK to deploy safe, clean and reliable nuclear energy for decades to come.”
“TerraPower’s decision to establish a UK presence is an important vote of confidence in the UK as a leading destination for nuclear projects and investment,” said Lord Vallance, Minister for Science, Innovation, Research and Nuclear. “We are delivering a golden age of nuclear and recognise the role advanced nuclear technology could play, providing clean, reliable power and strengthening our energy security.”
Generic Design Assessment Review begins TerraPower has now begun Step 1 of the Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process. The company submitted its GDA application in October 2025, its first international regulatory filing for the Natrium technology and received formal acceptance by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero in February 2026. The start of Step 1 of the GDA process marks a significant step toward Natrium advanced reactor deployment in the UK, supporting Britian’s ambition to accelerate innovative, sustainable and next-generation energy solutions.
“Confirming arrangements is an important enabling step for ONR to engage with and assess TerraPower’s Natrium design,” said Diego Fernandez Lisbona, ONR’s Head of Regulation for the TerraPower Natrium GDA and Advanced Nuclear Technologies. “Interactions in 2025, through our framework for Early Engagement, have provided early design familiarity and we will continue to engage closely with TerraPower and broader stakeholders as GDA progresses."
“We welcome TerraPower’s entry into the UK’s well respected Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process,” said Alan McGoff, the Environment Agency’s Policy Lead New Nuclear Build. “GDA’s purpose is to de-risk future Natrium projects by ensuring that environmental protection is built into the design from the start. This is the first GDA where we can take advantage of our arrangements for enhanced cooperation between international regulators following the UK and US governments’ signing last year of the Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy."
“We welcome TerraPower’s entry into the UK’s Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process,” said Yeliz Marshall, NRW’s Radioactivity and Industry Policy Senior Specialist Advisor. “It provides a valuable route to embed environmental protection early in the Natrium design and address key risks ahead of any future deployment. This GDA also creates scope to benefit from closer international regulatory working under the UK–U.S. Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy.”
TerraPower has been successfully working through the regulatory requirements in the United States, where the first Natrium plant is being constructed. This includes the recent construction approval by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to begin building the plant. The UK’s GDA process will expand on the company’s experience and efforts in the U.S. and will allow TerraPower to establish deployment timelines for Natrium sites in the country. As the UK strategizes how to best meet growing energy demand, innovative solutions like TerraPower’s Natrium technology with clean, baseload power plus gigawatt-scale energy storage will be needed to achieve both a decarbonized and a reliable electric grid.
TerraPower UK Established The launch of TerraPower UK Ltd and the appointment of Dr. Ian Hudson as Head of TerraPower UK gives the company a permanent voice and operational lead at a pivotal moment when the advanced nuclear industry is accelerating in Britian. Dr. Hudson brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in the nuclear industry with a proven track record of growing business and delivering complex programs. As Head of TerraPower UK, he is leading the company’s expansion in the UK—driving the deployment of next-generation nuclear technologies from early development through to delivery.
“I’m thrilled to be joining TerraPower at such an important moment as we begin Step 1 of the GDA process in the UK,” said Dr. Ian Hudson, Head of TerraPower UK. “Establishing a permanent presence enables us to work closely with our partners to deliver the critical energy infrastructure needed to support the UK's clean energy transition and economic prosperity.”
TerraPower UK will serve as the company’s operational base for all UK activities including GDA engagement. It is the company’s first office outside the United States and highlights the significance TerraPower places on the British market.
About the Natrium Technology The Natrium technology is the first mover in the advanced reactor sector and is well positioned to support rapidly increasing energy demand. The Natrium plant design features a 345 MW sodium-cooled fast reactor with a patented molten salt-based energy storage system. The storage technology can boost the system’s output to 500 MW of power when needed as it is designed to keep base output steady, ensuring constant reliability, and can quickly ramp up when demand peaks—it is the only advanced reactor design with this unique feature. The first Natrium plant is being developed through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP), a public-private partnership. That project is expected to be completed in 2030 and will be the first utility-scale advanced nuclear power plant in the United States. TerraPower is rapidly commercializing the Natrium technology, which includes an agreement with Meta for up to eight Natrium plants in the United States by 2035. About TerraPower TerraPower is a leading nuclear innovation company that strives to improve the world through nuclear energy and science. Since it was founded by Bill Gates and a group of like-minded visionaries, TerraPower has emerged as an incubator and developer of ideas and technologies that offer energy independence, environmental sustainability, medical advancement and other cutting-edge opportunities. It accepts and tackles some of the world’s most difficult challenges. Behind each of its innovations and programs, TerraPower actively works to bring together the strengths and experiences of the world’s public and private sectors to answer pressing global needs. Learn more at terrapower.com. Press contact TerraPower – press@terrapower.com