06/05/2026
The nuclear weapons proliferation risk inherent with Bill Gates' Terrapower small-ish nuclear power plant:
The problems with the natrium reactor, Lyman said, are inherent in the design of any sodium-cooled reactor. The molten sodium bursts into flame upon contact with air or water, he said, and these types of reactors have historically been expensive to build and prone to leaks. But, he said, the most worrying thing about the natrium reactor is that it uses fuel enriched to up to 20% of the isotope Uranium 235. This fuel is called HALEU, for high assay low enrichment uranium, and it’s just below the threshold for weapons-grade material. Conventional nuclear reactors use fuel that is between 3 and 5% enriched.
Natrium reactors require HALEU to make them smaller and more efficient, Lyman said, but there is no domestic source of this fuel available in the quantities needed. In addition, security at natrium reactors would have to be beefed up compared with conventional reactors, because HALEU is attractive to terrorists and rogue states. Enriching uranium to 20% represents most of the effort required to make weapons-grade material.
Those vying to bring TerraPower jobs to their communities might want to consider the safety and security risks.
