Tata, BWXT to explore microreactor use at Wyoming site
A subsidiary of Tata Chemicals North America has signed a letter of intent with BWXT Advanced Technologies LLC to explore the deployment of up to eight of BWXT's Advanced Nuclear Reactors for electricity and industrial processing at a soda ash site in Green River, Wyoming.
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Tata Chemicals Soda Ash Partners LLC (TCSAP) and BWXT have been collaborating since September 2023 on the feasibility of integrating the reactor - known as BANR - into the Green River site. The letter of intent sees the two companies agree to expand their collaboration "to include the development of commercial terms and conditions to conditionally purchase BANR microreactors from BWXT and establish the schedule and key milestones along the path to deploying them by the early 2030s, as well as jointly determining the techno-economic parameters necessary to turn conditional reactor purchase commitments into an energy purchase agreement", Tata Chemicals Soda Ash Partners (TCSAP) said.
The company says it sees nuclear power as an important energy source in its pursuit of a more secure and sustainable supply chain and in providing a low carbon footprint product. Deploying BANRs would provide on-demand electricity and process heat that is both carbon-free and resilient from external disruptions.
Managing Director of Tata Chemicals North America John Mulhall, said the letter of intent "represents an important next step in our vision of generating energy in an efficient and sustainable manner that will benefit the company, our customers and the community".
President of BWXT Advanced Technologies Joe Miller said: "We are excited to expand our collaboration with TCSAP and believe we are laying out a credible path, both technically and commercially, to bring nuclear reactors to southwestern Wyoming."
Tata Chemicals Soda Ash Partners has been mining and processing trona ore, a mineral that contains soda ash, at Green River since 1968. Its Wyoming manufacturing facility consists of an underground trona mine and a surface refining plant that processes the ore into soda ash.
BANR is a 50 MWt high-temperature gas microreactor that uses a form of TRISO (tristructural-isotropic) fuel. The technology was one of five selected in December 2020 by the US Department of Energy to receive a share of USD30 million in initial funding for risk reduction projects under its Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program.
BWXT was contracted by the Wyoming Energy Authority (WEA) in 2023 to assess the viability of deploying microreactors in the state, and WEA Executive Director Rob Creater said the letter of intent is an "incredibly positive step forward" for expanding nuclear in the state. "As a longtime energy leader, it is crucial for us to continue to bring public-private investments like this to Wyoming. Supporting the trona industry while creating and extending the state’s portfolio of baseload power is a win for everyone," he said.
