TerraPower Picks SPX FLOW to Design Pumps for Nuclear Reactor

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Dec. 6, 2016)—SPX FLOW Inc., a global supplier of highly engineered pumps for nuclear power facilities, has been named an official supply chain partner to TerraPower which aims to produce the next generation of sustainable and economic nuclear energy technology.

SPX FLOW has been chosen to design the pumps for TerraPower’s Traveling Wave Reactor (TWRTM) plant that has the potential to move nuclear energy into a new era, according to a statement from SPX FLOW. Being selected over international competition, SPX FLOW has been chosen as a partner to design TerraPower’s primary sodium pump confirming SPX FLOW’s leading position in the nuclear pump market. Once the design process has been completed, it is anticipated that SPX FLOW will manufacture the pumps at its Nuclear Center of Excellence in Annecy, France. “We are very excited by the opportunity to work with TerraPower as its primary sodium pump design partner. TerraPower is rightly recognized as one of the leading forces in producing next-generation nuclear energy,” Jose Larios, SPX FLOW Power and Energy President, said in the statement. “The partnership reflects SPX FLOW’s status as a leading innovator in the pumps sector and is a fantastic endorsement of our long-standing track record of success in nuclear.” Chris Levesque, president of TerraPower, added, “As we begin the TWRTM primary sodium pump project with SPX FLOW, we continue our approach to manage and reduce technical risks, component by component, to make our advanced reactor technology a reality.” The pumps play a fundamental role in the safety and operation of the reactor by pumping the primary coolant, liquid sodium, through the reactor core. This is an integral part of the reactor design and fundamental to its operation. In the first phase, SPX FLOW has been commissioned to perform the conceptual design with options to build and test a prototype pump. The pump will have to meet both the exacting quality standards associated with ASME NQA-1 and Class 1 equipment and all the functional requirements for normal operation and the beyond design basis events such as seismic activity. The primary sodium pumps are further evidence of the impact that the global supply chain plays in improving the value and efficiency of the next generation of nuclear reactors.