Bill Gates is among a number of tech entrepreneurs who have done so expressed their support for nuclear energy. On Friday, the billionaire discussed his assets at length in a post on his blog Gates Notes.
Gates’ comments followed his visit to Kemerer, Wyoming, where a “next generation” nuclear power plant, the sodium plant, is being worked on. According to the billionaire TerraPower, a company founded by Gates, designed the facility, which could potentially be operational in 2030.
Gates shared a photo of the facility on Twitter and wrote, “This next-generation nuclear facility will be an asset to the local economy, America’s energy independence and the fight against climate change.”
The tech entrepreneur wrote that when it opens, he sees Natrum as the world’s most advanced nuclear facility. More importantly, the plant is much safer and produces less waste than conventional reactors, he wrote.
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Sodium is different: Gates touted the safety of the Kemmerer facility, saying unlike traditional nuclear reactors that use water as a coolant, the facility uses liquid sodium, which can absorb any extra heat generated in the nuclear core.
The Sodium design also includes an energy storage system that allows it to control the amount of electricity it’s producing at any given time, the billionaire wrote. This is “essential for integration into power grids that use variable sources such as solar and wind,” he added.
“It’s the kind of effort that will help America maintain its energy independence,” Gates wrote.
Why it matters: “The world must make a big bet on nuclear power,” Gates wrote. The billionaire argued that nuclear power is essential for the world to meet its energy needs and eliminate carbon emissions, adding that none of the other reliable sources are as clean.
Incidentally, despite the energy crisis, Germany recently shut down its remaining nuclear power plants, citing the uncontrollable risks they pose.
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