TerraPower, the US nuclear innovation company founded by BillGates, has formally announced its intention to enter the UK’s generic design assessment (GDA) process, potentially pitting its reactor technology against others from companies including Rolls-Royce SMR.

TerraPower said it had submitted a letter to the UK’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero confirming its plans to enter the GDA process.

The company said this is the first step in efforts to deploy its Natrium nuclear power plant technology in an international market.