Wyoming’s Nuclear Power Plant Will Be Experimental

There are still a lot of questions and concerns regarding the proposed Natrium Nuclear reactor proposed for Wyoming.

Some worry about building new reactors due to accidents and what to do with the nuclear waste.

But this reactor is different.

Nothing like the reactors we were building back in the 1970s.

Let's look at how nuclear reactors function in the modern world.

The video below explains how it works.

Why Wyoming? Where are you getting the water?

With this system, there will be no need for a lot of water. That was a primary concern when the plant was first proposed.

Natrium reactor in Wyoming will use liquid sodium to heat molten salt, which is then stored in large tanks and used to generate electricity.

But it is still experimental.

The reactor is part of a demonstration project that aims to validate the design of this advanced nuclear technology.

How it works
The reactor heats liquid sodium, which operates at higher temperatures and lower pressures than current reactors.

The heated sodium transfers thermal energy to molten salt in large storage tanks.
When needed, the molten salt is released and used to create superheated steam.
The superheated steam turns a turbine to generate electricity.

TerraPower broke ground on its Natrium reactor near a retired coal plant in Kemmerer, Wyoming, in June 2024.

This new Natrium plant will be the first commercial reactor in the state of Wyoming.

Other states and nations are watching to see how this idea works.

Once fully functional, the plant is supposed to have the ability to generate enough electricity to power 400,000 homes in a state with more than 500,000 citizens.