GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH — based in North Carolina, USA) and TerraPower (which has its headquarters in Washington state) have announced “a collaboration to pursue a public-private partnership” to design and construct the Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) for the US Department of Energy (DOE).

The two companies recently submitted a joint response to an ‘Expression of Interest’ issued by the Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA) on behalf of the DOE; this seeks stakeholders interested in forming a partnership for a cost-sharing arrangement to design and construct the VTR using ‘sodium fast reactor’ technology.

Jay Wileman, CEO of GEH (www.nuclear.gepower.com), said: “This collaboration brings together a strong team of engineers and scientists with considerable experience in sodium reactor technology.

“The combined team has complementary experience with the credibility to lead the VTR design, procurement and construction effort.

“We are excited to work with TerraPower on such an important project.”

Chris Levesque, TerraPower’s CEO (www.terrapower.com), said: “To achieve nuclear energy’s full potential, business and government must work together to invest in both testing new materials and demonstrating advanced technologies.

"America’s nuclear workforce is ready to build next-generation nuclear technology to deliver affordable clean energy, and to re-establish American leadership in nuclear technology.

“The VTR offers a domestic platform for innovation that promotes American economic and national security.”

DOE established the VTR program to introduce ‘fast neutron spectrum technology’ that does not currently exist in the USA, and to support “accelerated development of nuclear fuels and materials for advanced reactors.”

In November 2018, BEA selected GEH and its PRISM technology to support the VTR program. Since then, GEH has been actively engaged in development of the VTR conceptual design.

TerraPower has supported the VTR program by making enhancements to the VTR’s design and has invested 10 years of sodium technology development int its travelling-wave reactor.