Published by Global Banking & Finance Review
Posted on September 7, 20262 min read
· Last updated: September 7, 2026Add as preferred source on Google
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TerraPower, backed by Bill Gates, aims to have its Natrium reactors delivering electricity in the UK by 2034—its first market outside the U.S.—leveraging supportive UK policy frameworks and ongoing regulatory steps.
Table of Contents: TerraPower's Expansion and the Future of Natrium Reactors in the UK
TerraPower's UK Ambitions
UK Government Support for Nuclear Innovation
Progress and Regulatory Status
Regulatory Approvals and Assessments
Technical Specifications and Fuel Supply
Natrium Reactor Capabilities
Fuel Production Initiatives
Economic Competitiveness and Site Selection
Cost Competitiveness
Potential Locations and Partnerships
Expansion Plans and Collaborations
Gates-backed TerraPower Targets First UK Natrium Nuclear Reactor by 2034
TerraPower's Expansion and the Future of Natrium Reactors in the UK
By Susanna Twidale
TerraPower's UK Ambitions
LONDON, Sept 7 (Reuters) - TerraPower, the U.S. nuclear developer backed by Bill Gates, expects its Natrium reactors to begin generating electricity in Britain by 2034, its CEO told Reuters, making the UK its first market outside the United States.
UK Government Support for Nuclear Innovation
Britain has backed the development of small modular reactors (SMRs) to help to increase energy security and meet climate targets, launching an Advanced Nuclear Framework this year to support privately funded projects.
Progress and Regulatory Status
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Chris Levesque, TerraPower's president and CEO, said progress on the company's first Natrium reactor, due to be completed in 2031, showed that "2034 nuclear electricity in the UK from Natrium is very possible".
Regulatory Approvals and Assessments
The technology has cleared regulatory requirements in the United States, where the first plant is being constructed in Wyoming and is currently being assessed under Britain's Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process.
Technical Specifications and Fuel Supply
Natrium Reactor Capabilities
Each sodium-cooled Natrium reactor generates 345 megawatts of baseload power and includes storage capable of boosting output to 500 MW for more than five hours. The reactors run on high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU).
Fuel Production Initiatives
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Britain and the U.S. are both building plants to produce the fuel, which was previously only commercially available from Russia.
Economic Competitiveness and Site Selection
Cost Competitiveness
Levesque said electricity generated by Natrium plants would be competitive with other low-carbon technologies, including combined solar-and-battery projects, at less than £100 ($135.32) per megawatt hour.
Potential Locations and Partnerships
TerraPower has yet to choose a site for its first UK project, but said its British subsidiary is likely to be based in Liverpool, northwest England, close to the country's nuclear regulator.
Expansion Plans and Collaborations
In the U.S., the company has an agreement with tech giant Meta to develop up to eight reactors. Levesque said TerraPower could seek similar partnerships in Britain.
($1 = 0.7390 pounds)
(Reporting by Susanna Twidale. Editing by Mark Potter)
Key TakeawaysTerraPower anticipates UK Natrium reactors to start powering the grid by 2034, following its first U.S. plant due in 2031 (gov.uk).
The UK government’s Advanced Nuclear Framework encourages privately funded SMR and advanced reactor projects, offering regulatory clarity, planning support, and fuel strategy alignment (gov.uk).
TerraPower has launched TerraPower UK, entered Step 1 of the UK Generic Design Assessment (GDA), and is collaborating with KBR on site evaluations and supply chain planning (terrapower.com).
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