U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Approves Environmental Impact Statement for Natrium Project

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has approved the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for TerraPower’s advanced Natrium nuclear reactor project, which will be located in Wyoming. According to the NRC, no adverse environmental impacts were identified. This marks the first advanced nuclear reactor to reach this significant regulatory milestone.

The Natrium reactor is a 345 MWe sodium-cooled fast reactor featuring a molten salt-based energy storage system capable of boosting the reactor’s output to 500 MWe. The technology is designed to provide a stable baseload power supply while allowing rapid power ramp-up during peak demand periods.

The next step in the construction permit process is the final safety assessment, which the company expects to receive by 31 December 2025. TerraPower was the first developer to submit a construction permit application for a commercial advanced reactor to the NRC in March 2024. According to TerraPower, the project is planned for completion in 2030.