TerraPower’s lab tests the equipment and processes for next-generation nuclear reactors. (GeekWire File Photo / Kevin Lisota)
TerraPower, the Bellevue, Wash.-based nuclear energy company, announced Tuesday the opening of a subsidiary office in the United Kingdom as it pursues its first international power plant.
“TerraPower is entering the UK market with a long-term commitment to supporting the nation’s clean energy future and establishing ourselves as a serious and reliable deployment partner,” Chris Levesque, company president and CEO, said in a statement.
In October 2025, TerraPower submitted its Generic Design Assessment (GDA) application to UK regulators and in February received formal acceptance from the country’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. The company has now officially started Step 1 of the GDA process.
Nuclear power has seen a resurgence of interest in recent years, driven by spiking energy demand from data center expansion, the electrification of transportation and other economic sectors, and energy security concerns tied to fossil fuel dependence.
TerraPower is among the companies developing next-generation nuclear technologies that aim to be safer, less expensive and faster to deploy than traditional reactors.
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TerraPower Breaks Ground on First U.S. Next-Gen Nuclear Plant
The company broke ground on its Natrium demonstration plant in Kemmerer, Wyo., in 2024, starting with non-nuclear construction. In April, it began work on the nuclear components after approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
The facility features a 345-megawatt, sodium-cooled fast reactor paired with a molten salt thermal storage system that captures excess heat. Drawing on that salt battery can boost the plant’s output to 500 megawatts for more than five hours. By comparison, Seattle uses around 2,000 megawatts during extreme weather events. TerraPower aims to have the reactor splitting atoms by the end of 2030.
The company also has a deal with Meta to build up to eight Natrium reactors in the U.S., with the first two targeted to come online by 2032.
The UK office extends that growth beyond American borders. Ian Hudson, the newly appointed head of TerraPower UK, said a permanent presence will allow the company to work closely with British partners.
