TerraPower has had informal talks with countries including Turkey on small reactors (updated)

ASP Isotopes

31/10/2024 15:13

(Adds detail and quotes from paragraph 2 onwards)
    By Timothy Gardner
       WASHINGTON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - TerraPower, the Bill
Gates-backed next-generation nuclear power company looking to
build small modular reactors, has had informal talks with
countries in Europe, including Turkey, a company spokesperson
said on Thursday.
    Earlier this month Reuters reported that Turkey is drafting
a law to facilitate building SMRs to complement plans to build
conventional nuclear plants.
    "We’ve had informal conversations with many European
countries, including some stakeholders in Turkey, but are not
engaged in formal conversations with customers in Turkey at this
time," a TerraPower spokesperson said in response to a Reuters
query.
    Backers of SMR technology hope to build a series of the
smaller nuclear plants in factories, instead of at the site of a
power station, a process they say will be less expensive. But
TerraPower has had to delay the launch of its first Natrium
plant in Wyoming by about two years to 2030. 
    The delay is due to a lack of fuel called high-assay low
enriched uranium, or HALEU, currently only made in commercial
amounts in Russia. TerraPower is in talks with ASP Isotopes
 ASPI.O  on a plant to make HALEU.  
    "The growing energy demand in Europe and the Russian
invasion of Ukraine has increased interest in the clean, firm
power provided by technologies like Natrium," the TerraPower
spokesperson said.
    Turkey plans to build at least three nuclear power plants: a
four reactor plant in Akkuyu in the Mediterranean region being
built by Russian conglomerate Rosatom; a second one in the Black
Sea province of Sinop; and a third in the northwest region of
Thrace.
    Turkey aims to complement conventional nuclear plants with
SMRs to diversify its electricity production mix. Turkey's
current nuclear energy law does not directly refer to SMRs, so
new legislation is needed. 

 (Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by David Holmes)
 ((timothy.gardner@thomsonreuters.com;))