The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued a favourable environmental impact statement (EIS) for TerraPower’s Natrium project in Wyoming, marking the first time a commercial advanced nuclear power plant has cleared the key regulatory milestone.

TerraPower said in a statement that the NRC’s finding of “no adverse environmental impact” for the Natrium demonstration plant in Kemmerer, Wyoming, represents a major step toward federal approval and eventual construction of the next-generation nuclear facility.

The company, founded by Bill Gates, is developing the Natrium technology which combines a 345-MW sodium-cooled fast reactor with a molten salt-based storage system, capable of increasing output to 500 MW during peak demand.