Bellevue-based nuclear power company TerraPower is looking to increase its headcount by 20% as the company ramps up major projects.
TerraPower Chief Financial Officer Marcia Burkey said the company has more than 500 employees, of which all but about 100 are based in the Seattle area. She said TerraPower could surpass 600 employees over the next year, and the company is prioritizing engineers.
"We have to do things competitively, and we have to get the show on the road," Burkey said. "We're showing that there is momentum happening in the project."
TerraPower, which was co-founded by Microsoft co-founder and billionaire Bill Gates, launched in 2008. The company is working on a thermal energy storage demonstration project called the Natrium Reactor Demonstration Project, which is focused on providing clean energy on demand when renewable sources like wind or solar aren’t available. It plans to demonstrate this technology at a retiring coal plant in Kemmerer, Wyoming.
TerraPower has raised $830 million over the past year. The company also has a medical isotopes program aimed at fighting cancer. In addition to its Bellevue headquarters, TerraPower has two facilities in Everett.
Earlier this month, TerraPower announced four suppliers for the Natrium thermal energy storage project. The project is one of two for which the U.S. Department of Energy is awarding a total of $2.5 billion toward as part of its Advanced Reactor Demonstration Projects. Burkey said winning that money required having advanced technology that is close to ready for commercial use.
Natrium is undergoing an environmental review by the DOE, Burkey said, and a test site could begin construction next year. For the larger project in Wyoming, TerraPower plans to submit an application for construction and operation with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission early next year. The review for that could take a couple of years, according to Burkey.
TerraPower lists other opportunities for suppliers on its website. The company is looking for equipment suppliers of reactor supports, sodium flow meters and fueling floor valves, among others.
Nuclear fission results from splitting the nucleus of an atom and releasing heat, which nuclear power plants channel to a cooling agent, often water. This produces steam and spins turbines that produce electricity through a generator. Because the process requires uranium-235, a rare fuel, it is not considered renewable like wind and solar power.
Opponents of nuclear power raise concerns about nuclear waste. Other complaints include that nuclear power plants take too long to build, are too expensive and don’t make enough of an impact on our carbon footprint.
