OLATHE, Kan.– Leaders with the nuclear innovation company TerraPower continue to look at potential plant sites in Kansas.
TerraPower has not announced a site in Kansas yet, but company leaders were in Johnson County Tuesday night to discuss where the project stands and what it would mean for growing energy demands.
“We’re not ready to announce any sites. Multiple communities in Kansas have kind of raised their hand and said they’re willing to host a Natrium power plant,” said TerraPower CEO Chris Levesque.
1.2 million pound historic locomotive to steam through Kansas on coast-to-coast tour
In December, FOX4 reported that De Soto was one of the many communities across the state that expressed interest in the facility.
In September, Evergy, TerraPower, and the Kansas Department of Commerce announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding to explore sites for a possible nuclear plant.
“Building a nuclear power plant is a big deal. There’s a lot of work going on now on site selection that involves looking at different properties. Nuclear power plants are highly engineered facilities. So we have to look at things like geology, water availability, seismic and other conditions, but also looking at things like community support, and where do you need the electricity,” Levesque explained.
Evergy has operated the Wolf Creek nuclear plant in Burlington, Kansas, safely for 40 years. Evergy’s CEO, David Campbell, says TerraPower’s advanced technology offers several benefits.
“We’ve got a great plant in Wolf Creek. But the newer technologies are safer. They’re more modular. So they should be quicker to build and more cost-effective. The safety systems are more advanced. So, some features that are attractive,” Campbell said. “For us as part of a mix of generation, we think it’s a nice complement. We’re a big believer in having a range of different fuel sources because we think that’s the best way to serve our customers.”
TerraPower’s first advanced nuclear reactor project is being built in Wyoming.
“We developed a new reactor called Natrium. Our reactor is still generating electricity through the fission of uranium, but ours is a slightly smaller reactor than Wolf Creek. It’s also a plant that can be built much faster. That’s one reason folks are interested in Natrium. Today’s reactors are again super safe. On average, they took about ten years to build. We need electricity, and we need it to be delivered faster than those projects,” Levesque said.
Now the company is considering a similar nuclear reactor plant in the Sunflower State. Levesque said that if the project moves forward, it would follow a similar rollout as the facility being built in Wyoming.
“In the coming weeks, we’re going to start construction and it’s going to be about a three and a half year construction project,” Levesque said about the project in Wyoming. “That’s kind of what it would look like in Kansas. So again, we’re really eager to keep looking at the sites and talking to future electricity customers about where they want to be in Kansas.”
Community shows support for Smithville businesses destroyed in Monday fire
Campbell said Evergy is excited to be involved in the early conversations about a potential TerraPower facility in Kansas.
“We’re excited to be here today because we think nuclear can be a great part of serving our customers in both states. We believe that the best way to keep rates affordable is to keep that balanced generation mix, and we’re excited to be here today,” Campbell said.
“So right now, I think it’s fair to say we’re in the exploratory phase. TerraPower is a great company. They’re building a plant in Wyoming now. It will be the next new nuclear plant to come online in the United States. So getting into discussions early on with TerraPower is a great way to position us potentially to move forward with them. So we haven’t committed to the plant yet, but it’s a great company with some great backers,” Campbell explained.
