Nuclear technology company TerraPower announced that it has received a construction permit from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for a commercial-scale advanced nuclear reactor utilizing the company’s Natrium technology.

This announcement marks the first-ever construction permit issued by the NRC for a commercial-scale advanced nuclear power plant, according to the company.

TerraPower President and CEO Chris Levesque said:

“Today is a historic day for the United States’ nuclear industry. We are beyond proud to receive a positive vote from the Nuclear Regulatory Commissioners granting our construction permit for Kemmerer Unit One. This is the first commercial-scale advanced nuclear plant to receive this permit.

Launched in 2008 by Bill Gates, Nathan Myhrvold and John Gilleland, TerraPower is a nuclear innovation company aimed at developing technologies to provide safe, affordable and abundant carbon-free energy. Bill Gates currently serves as chair of TerraPower’s board.

The company’s Natrium system is designed to integrate into electricity grids with high levels of variable renewable generation, combining a 345 MW sodium fast reactor with a molten salt energy storage system capable of retaining large amounts of energy that can be used to power the grid during periods of peak demand when weather or darkness reduce renewable output.

While providing a baseload output of 345 MW, each plant’s built-in storage system can boost energy delivery to up to 500 MW for more than five hours.

The first planned reactor, Kemmerer Unit One, is located near the site of a retiring coal facility in Kemmerer, Wyomings. The project is expected to be completed in 2030 and will be the first utility-scale advanced nuclear power plant in the United States.

The first Natrium plant is being developed through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP), a public-private partnership.

NRC Chairman Ho Nieh said:

“This is a historic step forward for advanced nuclear energy in the United States and reflects our commitment to delivering timely, predictable decisions grounded in a rigorous and independent safety review.”

In January, Terra Power and Meta signed an agreement to build up to eight advanced nuclear reactors in the United States.