Among the dozens (or hundreds?) of investments from Bill Gates there is a particular one: a sodium nuclear reactor with raw material from South Korea. His name is Natrium, and the billionaire promotes it with his company TerraPower, together with the government and companies of the Asian country.
Recently, Bill Gates’ company signed a cooperation agreement with the Korean groups SK and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), in order to support the commercialization of Natrium, as well as the integrated energy system.
He Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy of South Korea sponsored the event.
TerraPower received a capital increase of $830 million, thanks to SK investments for 250 million dollars. It is the largest private equity raise among nuclear companies to date.
The unit with KHNP strengthens the development of the Natrium reactor. But, How does this technology promoted by Bill Gates work?
Let’s learn more about Natrium, the nuclear reactor powered by Bill Gates
Your main point It is a sodium-cooled fast reactor. which is 345 MW and has an energy storage system based on molten salts.
storage technology can increase the production of the system to 500 MW of power for more than five and a half hours, as needed.
A Natrium plant integrates with renewable resources, helping to decarbonise electricity generation.
At the moment there is a first location for this type of plants: in Wyoming, United States. Bill Gates claimed in January that TerraPower was looking for more development sites.
Chris Levesque, president of TerraPower, explained during the signing with the South Korean companies: “These partnerships are essential for the first Natrium reactor and the many additional facilities we plan to build in the United States and around the world.”
“We already counted,” continues Levesque, “with a strong partner in SK and we look forward to adding the renowned global experience of KHNP as a long-term partner to help realize the benefits of advanced nuclear power.”