US-based engineering and construction company Burns & McDonnell has signed an agreement with BWX Technologies (BWXT) to further the design and development of microreactors that can provide thermal and electric power.
Burns & McDonnell said in a statement that the BWXT Advanced Nuclear Reactor (BANR) is a passively safe design that can power remote facilities such as those being evaluated by BWXT and the Wyoming Energy Authority while providing “economical, secure, carbon-free sources of heat and electricity”.
Burns & McDonnell will help BWXT develop the balance of the plant systems for the microreactor, produce the power plant layout and carry out preconstruction planning.
“This project marks a significant step in advancing energy solutions in Wyoming while providing reliable energy to aid existing power generation,” Burns & McDonnell said.
According to Burns & McDonnell the plant can be deployed for industrial users such as mining.
The current phase of the Wyoming Energy Authority study is exploring the feasibility of developing a nuclear market in Wyoming by using the existing supply chain for component manufacturing and assembly.
“There’s been tremendous support as we’ve explored the potential opportunities for deploying microreactors in Wyoming,” said Joseph Miller, president of BWXT Advanced Technologies LLC.
BWXT has also signed a cooperation agreement with the state of Wyoming as it evaluates locations for a potential new Triso nuclear fuel production facility to support anticipated future demand for advanced reactor deployment.
Bill Gates’s reactor company TerraPower recently broke ground on its first Natrium advanced nuclear plant in Wyoming.