A nuclear plant that produces constant heat but variable electricity
In short: Most nuclear plants are slaves to the grid's immediate demand. The Kemmerer Power Station changes the math. By decoupling constant heat production from electrical output using a molten-salt storage system, it can provide a steady flow of power that adjusts between 100 and 500 MWe.
The Kemmerer Power Station in Wyoming represents a shift toward 'load following' in nuclear energy. While the reactor itself will produce a constant 840 MW of thermal power, the electricity it provides to the grid is not fixed. Two separate areas, known as the Energy Island and the Nuclear Island, comprise this facility. Primary cooling systems and the reactor reside within the Nuclear Island, whereas the Energy Island holds power generation systems and molten-salt energy storage tanks. The two are connected only by the energy storage system.
The mechanism relies on a pool-type sodium-cooled fast reactor. Fission heat is transferred to molten sodium coolant, which is then moved to a sodium-salt heat exchanger. Here, the heat is transferred to a molten salt system similar to those used in concentrated solar power plants. By varying the flow rates of the salt between the Hot Salt Tank and the Cold Salt Tank, the plant can adjust its electrical output—ranging from 100 MWe to 500 MWe—without needing to throttle the reactor's core. This allows the plant to respond to fluctuating grid demands while maintaining a stable, constant thermal output.
Safety and infrastructure are central to this design. The reactor uses sodium-bonded uranium metal fuel and maintains an argon cover gas to prevent sodium from reacting with air. For cooling, the plant utilizes an Intermediate Air Cooling System (IAC) with three modes: Active, Blower, and Passive. Crucially, the plant's safety-related functions are designed to be passive; in an emergency, the Reactor Air Cooling (RAC) system removes decay heat through natural convection and radiative cooling, requiring no operator action or electrical power to initiate.
To manage load following, the facility's power output will fluctuate between 100 MWe and 500 MWe.
The station is the first commercial sodium-cooled fast reactor in the US since 1975. An argon-filled annulus surrounds the reactor vessel, which sits inside a guard vessel. The plant uses a molten-salt storage system similar to a concentrated solar power plant. The design allows for adjusting electrical power while maintaining constant reactor power.
The NRC approved the construction permit on 4 March 2026. Work on non-nuclear structures commenced on 10 June 2024. At 100% power, the core's highest outlet temperature reaches 510 degrees Celsius (950 degrees Fahrenheit). The primary water supply is provided by the Viva Naughton Reservoir.
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