Spending Rp56 Trillion, Bill Gates' Ambition To Build A Nuclear Reactor Begins To Be Accomplished

JAKARTA - Bill Gates' plan to develop nuclear power through his startup company, TerraPower has found a bright spot. The company has found a home for the project.

Gates chose the small town of Kemmerer, Wyoming, formerly known as a coal and natural gas mining area in the United States (US). Kemmerer was chosen because of geological and technical factors, such as seismic and soil conditions, as well as community support.

It is estimated that TerraPower will spend four billion US dollars or equivalent to Rp56 trillion. In terms of financing, the company is not alone because some of the funds are also supported by the US government.

The Kemmerer plant will be the first to use an advanced nuclear design called Sodium, developed by TerraPower and GE-Hitachi. Later, the Sodium nuclear power plant will replace the coal-fired power plant which will be closed in 2025.

“Our innovative technology will help ensure continued reliable electricity production while also transitioning our energy system and creating new, well-paying jobs in Wyoming,” said TerraPower CEO Chris Levesque.

The project will provide employment for as many as 2,000 people during construction. If the electricity development is successful, it will have a capacity of 345 megawatts. But it also has the potential to increase its capacity to 500 megawatts. This will generate enough climate-friendly power to service about 250,000 homes.

The cooling system itself uses liquid sodium instead of water. This is because sodium has a higher boiling point and can absorb more heat than water, reducing the risk of explosion. According to the company, it will perform better, be safer, and cheaper than traditional nuclear power.

“Sodium will be the next safety upgrade. The important thing is not to rely on external power sources, pumps, and additional equipment to help the plant recover in the event of an emergency,” Levesque said.

Still, some are skeptical about the benefits of sodium over water for cooling, such as in conventional nuclear plants.

“The use of liquid sodium has many problems. It is a highly volatile material that can catch fire when exposed to air or water,” said Edwin Lyman, director of nuclear power safety at the science advocacy nonprofit Union of Concerned Scientists.

Lyman explained that countries including the US have been experimenting with sodium-cooled fast reactors for decades, but only Russia has such reactors on a large scale producing power.