Southern Company, TerraPower complete installation of Integrated Effects Test
Southern Company, working with TerraPower, recently completed the installation of the Integrated Effects Test – a major step in the development of the world’s largest chloride salt system developed by the nuclear sector.
The project marks a crucial milestone in the development of TerraPower’s Molten Chloride Fast Reactor (MCFR) – the first of its kind. The test is expected to demonstrate how the MCFR technology will perform in delivering a commercial-scale, carbon-free molten salt reactor energy source by 2035.
“Southern Company’s research and development program is committed to advancing next-generation nuclear as part of a diverse technology portfolio supporting our goal of a net-zero future for customers,” Mark Berry, Southern Company Services senior vice president of R&D, said. “We are honored to engage with TerraPower, the Department of Energy, and the other team members to further this goal through the Integrated Effects Test. Collaborations of this kind are critical to making transformational change in our energy system a reality.”
The Integrated Effects Test, located at TerraPower’s laboratory in Everett, Wash., is a nonnuclear, externally heated, up to 1-megawatt multiloop system to support future deployment of a fast-spectrum salt test reactor.
“The completion and installation of the Integrated Effects Test is an important step to advancing TerraPower’s Molten Chloride Fast Reactor technology,” Jeff Latkowski, TerraPower’s senior vice president of innovation programs, said. “The MCFR will play a pivotal role in decarbonizing heavy industries, and we are proud to work with Southern Company, CORE POWER, and other partners to develop the systems necessary to bring new reactors to market.”
The next generation of nuclear reactors promises the same value to customers as the current operating nuclear fleet. As nuclear energy will be central to a sustainable, clean-energy future, the success of this project is integral to achieving a net-zero economy by 2050.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 9 was attended by representatives from Southern Company, TerraPower, Idaho National Laboratory, the project and construction team, and technology partners. Construction of the Integrated Effects Test was completed by McAbee Construction Inc., while Gulf Electric Company provided electrical support.
“The IET facility is a huge step forward in commercializing molten salt reactor technology that will help the U.S. transition to a new, clean-energy economy and help position the U.S. as a leader in the development of advanced reactor technologies,” Dr. Kathryn Huff, assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy, said in a recorded message at the event.
