Wyoming’s largest trona producer is moving forward with a nuclear energy technology company to install small-scale nuclear reactors to support its manufacturing facility in Green River.
On Friday, Tata Chemicals announced it has signed a new letter of intent (LOI) with Virginia-based BWXT Advanced Technologies to explore the deployment of up to eight nuclear microreactors using BWXT’s Advanced Nuclear Reactor for electricity and industrial processing.
Tata Chemicals Soda Ash Partners (TCSAP) is the first company in the U.S. to pursue small-scale nuclear power to service an industrial facility.
“It’s a big deal,” said Jon Conrad, a representative of Tata and a state legislator. “Before, we were just exploring opportunities. Now we have a concrete plan.”
What’s New?
As a result of the LOI, BWXT has agreed to expand their collaboration to include the development of commercial terms and conditions that will allow Tata to conditionally buy BANR microreactors from BWXT.
It also establishes a schedule for the project and key milestones along the path to deploying the nuclear reactors by the early 2030s. It determines the parameters necessary to turn conditional reactor purchase commitments into an energy purchase agreement.
Conrad said construction on the first reactor would be scheduled to start in January 2030. Each reactor would produce an average of 5 megawatts of electricity.
“We are excited to expand our collaboration with TCSAP and believe we are laying out a credible path, both technically and commercially, to bring nuclear reactors to southwestern Wyoming,” said Joe Miller, president of BWXT Advanced Technologies, in a press release.
Since September 2023, Tata and BWXT have been collaborating on the feasibility of integrating nuclear reactors for electricity and industrial processing at Tata’s Green River manufacturing site.
The microreactors would deliver on-demand electricity and process heat that is both carbon-free and insulates Tata from market disruptions. Tata believes nuclear power will be an important energy source in its goal to achieve a more secure and sustainable supply chain while producing a low carbon footprint.
Conrad said the microreactors will help Tata remain competitive in the soda ash market by reducing its greenhouse gases by 30%. This will replace a portion of coal-fired electricity with clean fuel.
“Our customers are demanding a clean soda ash,” Conrad said of the company’s clientele, about half of which is international. “We’re fulfilling our obligation to the demands of the market as well as our customers.”
What Would They Do?
The nuclear reactors combined would produce up to 100 megawatts of electricity for the Tata facility to supplement its existing power generation efforts.
For comparison, the planned TerraPower advanced nuclear reactor in Kemmerer would produce about 345 megawatts of electricity. The Dave Johnston coal-fired power plant near Glenrock produces up to 800 megawatts of electricity.
The micronuclear model is unique in that nuclear plants typically focus on providing electricity for the mass electrical grid to power cities and towns. The small-scale nuclear reactors will be focused on Tata’s facility.
The Wyoming Legislature in 2022 and 2023 appropriated a total of $150 million to Gov. Mark Gordon’s office to provide matching funds for energy research projects.
BWXT was recommended to receive $10 million of this money for research, which the company is matching with another $10 million of its own.
In July, BWXT received the second phase of a contract with the Wyoming Energy Authority to assess the viability of deploying small-scale nuclear reactors in the state.
“This LOI is an incredibly positive step forward for the expanding nuclear sector in Wyoming,” said Rob Creager, executive director of the Wyoming Energy Authority, in a press release. “As a longtime energy leader, it is crucial for us to continue to bring public-private investments like this to Wyoming.”
Tata’s manufacturing facility consists of an underground trona mine and a surface refining plant that processes the ore into soda ash. The facility operates around the clock, seven-days a week, 365 days per year and mines more than 4.5 million tons of trona ore per year.
Conrad said Tata has been working with BWXT since early 2023 on the project, a relationship that first formed at a Wyoming Energy Authority conference.
Leo Wolfson can be reached at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.
