Bechtel has launched the Natrium Demonstration Project. Bechtel is partnering with TerraPower to engineer, procure, and construct the first-of-its-kind facility in Wyoming.
The project is part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program.
Natrium is an advanced nuclear reactor that uses sodium-based technology instead of water to cool the reactor. TerraPower’s technology can provide 345 megawatts of baseload power with the ability to scale up to 500 megawatts, generating enough energy to power 400,000 homes. A combination of TerraPower and GE Hitachi, Natrium represents a step forward in clean, sustainable power generation.
Craig Albert, Bechtel’s president and chief operating officer, said Natrium will be the first nuclear project to use Bechtel’s suite of digital tools and systems. These tools have already demonstrated positive results at other large power facilities.