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Helping to build the clean energy of tomorrow

State of the Art

After investing hundreds of millions of dollars in research and development, TerraPower has proven it is serious about bringing advanced nuclear technologies to market. It has invested in high-tech laboratories to prove out its concepts and partnered with America’s national laboratories, research universities and utilities. They’re all looking for next generation clean energy solutions. After a decade of work, TerraPower is ready to demonstrate advanced nuclear technologies in partnership with the United States.

Starting with 10,000 square feet, TerraPower expanded to 65,000 square feet of facilities in 2019. The expansion accommodates growth in needed testing capabilities to demonstrate key components and physical properties of materials.

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Fume hood experiment
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Advanced Nuclear Reactor Designs

TerraPower’s engineers and scientists have successfully come up with next generation advanced nuclear reactor designs. Unlike most other nuclear startups, TerraPower decided to build their laboratory, and the necessary components to test on-site if key elements of their design worked. The Everett and Bellevue laboratories are testing, proving, and improving crucial elements of TerraPower’s reactor designs. For the Traveling Wave Reactor (TWR) technology, this includes the cover-gas system, a full-scale fuel handling test bed, and vapor trap designs. For the Molten Chloride Fast Reactor (MCFR) technology, this includes micro-loop, and fully pumped isothermal loops that prove out the molten salt fuel and coolant interactions in the core.

TerraPower’s cutting-edge facilities have also allowed engineers to expand their horizons, looking at new ways to take advantage of the opportunities nuclear science brings to bear – and not just in energy. Medical research and innovation are underway with the TerraPower Isotopes™ (TPI) program, which is developing advanced radioisotope generators that will be able to extract potentially life-saving materials from radioactive elements through nuclear science. And new uses for the high heat produced by advanced reactors are being explored, potentially unlocking unprecedented carbon reduction avenues and carbon-conversion technologies.

Cutting Edge Possibilities Outside of Energy

Medical Isotopes

TerraPower is investing in the cost of extraction of selected isotopes contained in DOE-managed material, whose life-saving qualities could be used in Targeted Alpha Therapy for cancer patients.

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Process Heat

TerraPower is demonstrating technology that can convert coal into high value products suitable for transportation fuels, chemical industry feedstock and even advanced materials like carbon fiber.

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Advanced Reactor Modeling Interface

TerraPower’s team joins developers of similar open-source software in their efforts to develop and demonstrate advanced reactor technologies. The open-source portion of TerraPower’s software offers a framework and ecosystem that will benefit from external contributors who are also in need of better automation tools and expressive reactor frameworks

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