We believe that It can provide a good opportunity for Japan to advance our SFR technologies toward carbon neutrality,” said Toshio Kodama, president of JAEA. “This cooperation with TerraPower will contribute to further development of the U.S.- Japan cooperation on sodium cooled fast reactors. Likewise, the view from Japan is equally positive. “We appreciate the expertise that JAEA will bring to our project, and we are confident that our program will help them as they consider advanced reactors in Japan.” “As a nuclear innovation company, we value mutual learning with the broader global nuclear community and applying this expertise to ongoing efforts,” said Chris Levesque, president and CEO of TerraPower. TerraPower’s CEO says he is confident the MOU will succeed. In the first release of funding TerraPower received $80 million under the cost shared program. The department is contributing approximately $2 billion toward licensing and construction costs and TerraPower is matching that total dollar-for-dollar. TerraPower is constructing the Natrium reactor through a public-private partnership with DOE. The 345 MWe reactors will replace the power generating capacity of an existing coal fired plant. TerraPower is on a tight schedule under DOE’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) to build a first of a kind unit (FOAK) at a site in Wyoming. Testing of materials and functions for components of the reactor are crucial as input to getting a license from the NRC and in issuing specifications to supply chain firms who will make the components needed to build the reactor. TerraPower is interested in technical cooperation with several Japanese entities and intends to work with JAEA and Japanese fast reactor industrial firms for advanced testing of certain components of its Natrium reactor, Japan has extensive experience with R&D efforts to develop sodium-cooled fast reactors dating back to the mid-1980s. Also, the planned export of the advanced Natrium reactor has garnered the attention of nonproliferation analysts who worry about unintended use of the fast breeder design to produce weapons grade plutonium. JAEA, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Mitsubishi FBR Systems will share data and resources related to the development of advanced sodium fast reactor (SFR) technology with TerraPower.ĭespite the obvious advantages of sharing technical expertise in this high technology domain, it’s not clear that the two parties are on an equal footing. The agreement will enable both sides to advance fast-reactor technologies for commercial use. TerraPower, which is developing the 345 MWe Natrium sodium cooled fast reactor, has sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) and two Mitsubishi business units to collaborate on sodium fast reactor technology.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |