en.Wedoany.com Reported - TerraPower has officially initiated the UK regulatory review of its Natrium power plant and established a subsidiary, TerraPower UK Ltd, marking a key milestone for the Washington-based nuclear energy company in its UK deployment. The company stated that these regulatory and commercial activities represent the most significant step taken to date toward deploying a fleet of Natrium reactors in the UK.
TerraPower has now initiated the first step of the Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process. The company submitted its GDA application in October 2025, marking the first international regulatory submission for its Natrium technology, and received formal acceptance from the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero in February 2026. The launch of the first step of the GDA process represents a significant milestone for the deployment of the Natrium advanced reactor in the UK, supporting the country's ambition to accelerate innovative, sustainable, and next-generation energy solutions. The company revealed that the Natrium technology is a pioneer in the advanced reactor field, fully capable of supporting rapidly growing energy demand. The Natrium plant design features a 345 MW sodium-cooled fast reactor paired with a patented molten salt energy storage system. This storage technology can boost the system's output to 500 MW when needed, as the design maintains stable baseload output, ensuring continuous reliability and enabling rapid ramp-up during peak demand—making it the only advanced reactor design with this unique capability.
Chris Levesque, President and CEO of TerraPower, stated that the company's entry into the UK market reflects a long-term commitment to supporting the country's clean energy future and positioning itself as a serious and reliable deployment partner. Initiating the first step of the GDA process and establishing TerraPower UK marks significant progress in the mission to bring Natrium technology to the UK. Lord Vallance, Minister for Science, Innovation, Research, and Nuclear Energy, noted that TerraPower's decision to establish a presence in the UK is an important vote of confidence in the UK as a premier destination for nuclear projects and investment. The UK is pioneering a golden age of nuclear energy and recognizes the role advanced nuclear technology can play in providing clean, reliable power and enhancing energy security.
Diego Fernandez Lisbona, Head of Regulation for TerraPower Natrium GDA and Advanced Nuclear Technologies at the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), stated that the confirmation of arrangements is a key enabling step for ONR's engagement and assessment of the TerraPower Natrium design. Interactions through the early engagement framework in 2025 provided early design familiarity, and ONR will continue to engage closely with TerraPower and broader stakeholders as the GDA progresses. TerraPower has successfully completed U.S. regulatory requirements, and the first Natrium plant is under construction, including recent approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to begin construction of the plant. The UK GDA process will expand on the company's experience and efforts in the U.S. and allow TerraPower to determine the deployment timeline for Natrium at UK sites. Yeliz Marshall, Senior Specialist Advisor for Radioactivity and Industrial Policy at Natural Resources Wales (NRW), noted that the GDA process provides a pathway to embed environmental protection early in the Natrium design and address key risks before any future deployment, while also creating space to benefit from closer international regulatory cooperation under the UK–U.S. Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy.
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