The following is a press release from TerraPower

TerraPower, a nuclear innovation company, announced today the start of construction on the state-of-the-art Kemmerer Training Center (KTC), at the site of the Natrium project in Kemmerer, Wyoming. This is the second facility to reach the construction milestone of this next generation, advanced nuclear project.

The 30,000 sqft Kemmerer Training Center will be integral to building the future workforce for the advanced nuclear industry as it will host all Natrium® plant^[1] operation training activities and support all operator accredited programs. The KTC will house the Natrium Training Simulator, laboratories for electrical and Instrumentation & Control (I&C), mechanical and scientific laboratories, training classrooms, an auditorium and more.

“The future of energy will only come to fruition if we have a skilled, dedicated and robust workforce. The Kemmerer Training Center will serve as the central hub for future Natrium operators who will deliver the reliable and flexible power communities need,” said Chris Levesque, TerraPower President and CEO. “We are proud to be building this facility on the site of our first Natrium plant. The proximity between the plant and the training center, along with the ongoing support of the Kemmerer community, are invaluable as we continue to advance America’s next nuclear power plant.”

“Wyoming is leading the way in establishing the next generation nuclear sector,” said Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon. “With today’s announcement at the Natrium site on the beginning of construction on the training center, Southwest Wyoming has much to celebrate — from workforce opportunities to state-of-the-art energy production.”

TerraPower broke ground on the Natrium project in 2024 and immediately began construction efforts. The Natrium project is the only advanced nuclear developer to begin construction on a commercial-scale project in the U.S.

The Natrium design features a 345 MW sodium-cooled fast reactor with a patented molten salt-based energy storage system. The storage technology can boost the system’s output to 500 MW of power when needed as it is designed to keep base output steady, ensuring constant reliability, and can quickly ramp up when demand peaks. The decoupled design separates major structures into two independent islands — nuclear and energy — which significantly reduces the quantity of specialized materials, cutting plant costs and accelerating construction timelines.

The first Natrium plant is being developed through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP), a public-private partnership. The ARDP was awarded under President Trump’s first administration; and continued federal support for deploying new plants was outlined in President Trump’s executive orders. The project is expected to be completed in 2030 and will be the first utility-scale advanced nuclear power plant in the United States.