TerraPower’s Natrium Fast Reactor Enters UK Generic Design Assessment Process
Updated (3 articles)
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Nat rium reactor accepted into UK GDA, first filing outside United States TerraPower’s 345 MWe sodium‑cooled fast reactor with a molten‑salt energy‑storage system entered the UK Generic Design Assessment after submitting its application in October, marking the inaugural regulatory filing for Natrium beyond the U.S. [1]
Collaboration with regulators and assessment timeline outlined President and CEO Chris Levesque said TerraPower will cooperate with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and the Environment Agency throughout the review, while ONR confirmed the assessment will commence once resources and timescales are finalized, evaluating safety, security and environmental impacts at the design stage and applicable to multiple future sites. [1]
Nat rium joins expanding UK SMR portfolio The Natrium design follows other small modular reactors under review: Rolls‑Royce’s SMR is in Step 3, Holtec’s SMR‑300 in Step 2, and GE Vernova Hitachi’s BWRX‑300 completed Step 2 in December 2025, illustrating a growing suite of SMR candidates for the UK market. [1]
Molten‑salt storage provides load‑following capability The reactor’s molten‑salt system enables temporary output boosts to 500 MWe, allowing the plant to match daily electricity demand and support variable renewable generation; Bill Gates has chaired TerraPower’s board since 2006. [1]
U.S. construction underway and Meta pledges funding TerraPower began non‑nuclear construction of its first Natrium plant in Kemmerer, Wyoming in June 2024, targeting completion in 2030 under the DOE Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program, while Meta announced support for up to eight Natrium reactors in the United States with deliveries slated for 2032‑2035. [1]
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Timeline
2006 – Bill Gates chairs TerraPower, providing high‑profile backing that helps attract investment and political support for the company’s advanced reactor programs [1].
July 2023 – The International Maritime Organization adopts greenhouse‑gas reduction goals that aim for net‑zero emissions from shipping around 2050, creating a regulatory backdrop that fuels interest in nuclear‑propulsion concepts [2][3].
June 2024 – TerraPower begins non‑nuclear construction of its first Natrium plant in Kemmerer, Wyoming, the first physical step toward a 345 MWe sodium‑cooled fast reactor slated for completion in 2030 under the DOE Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program [1].
December 2025 – GE Vernova Hitachi’s BWRX‑300 completes Step 2 of the UK Generic Design Assessment, illustrating the momentum of SMR reviews and providing a benchmark for TerraPower’s upcoming GDA filing [1].
23 Oct 2025 – DNV publishes a white paper noting that stricter decarbonisation requirements are “reigniting interest” in nuclear propulsion for ships, and grants an Approval in Principle to HD KSOE for a 15,000‑TEU SMR‑powered container vessel, the first technical verification of a nuclear cargo‑ship concept [3].
19 Jan 2026 – Lloyd’s Register launches the UK Maritime Nuclear Consortium with Rolls‑Royce, Babcock International and others to develop global safety and certification standards for nuclear‑powered vessels; CEO Nick Brown says “nuclear power can deliver zero‑carbon ships and jobs,” and Rolls‑Royce director Jake Thompson adds that “multi‑sector collaboration is essential for the UK to lead the development of an international code” [2].
20 Feb 2026 – TerraPower’s 345 MWe Natrium reactor enters the UK Generic Design Assessment after its October submission, becoming the first Natrium filing outside the United States; President and CEO Chris Levesque says the company “will work with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Environment Agency throughout the review” to bring the design to the United Kingdom [1].
2028‑2035 (planned) – The Office for Nuclear Regulation will start the Natrium GDA once resources are allocated; Meta pledges funding for up to eight Natrium reactors in the United States with deliveries projected for 2032‑2035, and the Kemmerer plant targets operational status by 2030, indicating a pipeline of commercial deployments that could shape UK and global nuclear‑energy markets [1].