TerraPower, the nuclear power company founded by Bill Gates, has bought land at the Kemmerer site in the US state of Wyoming, a retiring coal facility owned by utility PacifiCorp, where the first Natrium small modular reactor will be deployed.

TerraPower described the move to buy land at site as a “another milestone” following an announcement earlier this month of several supplier contracts for the proposed Natrium reactor demonstration project.

On 1 August, TerraPower said it had awarded deals to Western Service Corporation, James Fisher Technologies, BWXT Canada and Curtiss-Wright Flow Control Service with the aim of establishing “key elements of the supply chain that the advanced reactor industry will rely on as new reactors are brought to market”.