TerraPower is utilizing safety testing technology from South Korea's KAERI to advance its sodium cooled fast reactor project in Wyoming. This collaboration aims to streamline the development of the first commercial small modular reactor in the United States. The project involves partnerships with several South Korean firms, including SK Innovation and Doosan Enerbility, to handle equipment supply and technical validation for the advanced reactor design.
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TerraPower is pulling in Korean safety tech for that Wyoming SMR build. It is basically a move to reduce technical risk by using existing test data from KAERI.
Using existing safety data helps, but I want to see the actual construction timeline. SMRs always promise fast deployment, yet the interconnection and site prep in Wyoming usually take longer than the reactor build itself. When is the first watt actually hitting the grid?
Sodium cooled reactors are interesting for industrial heat, not just electricity. If they can prove the safety side with this Korean tech, it could actually work for heavy industry decarbonization where you need high grade heat.
The real story here is the bilateral cooperation. These partnerships often hinge on specific US tax credits and export guarantees. If the subsidies shift, the appetite for these high capital cost projects usually follows.
