Tatas Explore Deploying Nuclear Microreactors In US

Tata Chemicals North America sees nuclear power as an important energy source in its pursuit of a more secure and sustainable supply chain and in providing a low carbon footprint product.

India's Tata group is exploring to deploy up to eight nuclear microreactors in Wyoming in the US through a group company.

According to Tata Chemicals North America, its subsidiary, Tata Chemicals Soda Ash Partners LLC (TCSAP), has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with BWXT Advanced Technologies LLC (BWXT) to explore the deployment of up to eight nuclear microreactors.

Tata Chemicals North America is a subsidiary of Tata Chemicals Ltd, a listed entity in India.

Since September 2023, TCSAP and BWXT in collaboration have been looking on the feasibility of integrating BWXT's Advanced Nuclear Reactor (BANR) for electricity and industrial processing at TCSAP's Green River, Wyoming manufacturing site.

With this LOI, TCSAP and BWXT agree to expand their collaboration to include the development of commercial terms and conditions to conditionally purchase BANR microreactors from BWXT and establish the schedule and key milestones along the path to deploying them by the early 2030s, as well as jointly determining the techno-economic parameters necessary to turn conditional reactor purchase commitments into an energy purchase agreement, a statement said.

Once deployed, TCSAP said, the BANR microreactors would deliver on-demand electricity and process heat that is both carbon-free and resilient from external disruptions for one of the world's leading producers of high-quality soda ash.

Tata Chemicals North America sees nuclear power as an important energy source in its pursuit of a more secure and sustainable supply chain and in providing a low carbon footprint product.

'The LOI represents an important next step in our vision of generating energy in an efficient and sustainable manner that will benefit the company, our customers and the community,' said John Mulhall, managing director, Tata Chemicals North America.

'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, BWXT Advanced Technologies LLC.

'This LOI is an incredibly positive step forward for the expanding nuclear sector in Wyoming,' stated Rob Creager, executive director, Wyoming Energy Authority.

TCSAP has been mining and processing trona ore, a mineral that contains soda ash, at Green River, Wyoming since 1968.

The Green River facility is located on the 'mile high' prairies of southwestern Wyoming, home to the world's largest reserves of trona ore.

Here, more than 60 billion tons of trona can be found extending over 1,000 square miles at depths of up to a third of a mile, TCSAP said.

TCSAP's Wyoming manufacturing facility consists of an underground trona mine and a surface refining plant that processes the ore into soda ash.

The facility is located about 40 miles west of Rock Springs and 175 miles northeast of Salt Lake City. It operates around the clock, seven days a week, 365 days per year.

Venkatachari Jagannathan can be reached at venkatacharijagannathan@gmail.com

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com