DoD broke ground on the Project Pele transportable microreactor project at Idaho National Laboratory, which could become one of the first advanced reactors to operate in the United States as early as 2026. The demonstration project is being led by DOD’s Strategic Capabilities Office and could be one of the first advanced reactors to operate in the United States as early as 2026.
Project Pele Breaks Ground
DoD is planning to design, build, and demonstrate a transportable high-temperature gas reactor that will operate at the lab’s Critical Infrastructure Test Range Complex. The reactor will be manufactured by BWX Technologies and connected to INL’s microgrid producing 1 to 5 megawatts of electrical power.
According to DoD, the prototype reactor facility will be transported in 20-foot shipping containers and tested at the lab. They then plan to transport the reactor module by truck for placement at the complex during the 2026 timeframe to conduct safety reviews and initial planning and testing.
“We are thrilled to move beyond the era of PowerPoint advanced reactors,” said Dr. Jeff Waksman, Project Pele program manager. “Our tight partnership with INL and the Department of Energy Idaho Operations Office is trailblazing not just for manufacturing advanced reactors, but also for regulating them in an efficient and safe manner.”
"For 75 years INL has been the home of nuclear innovation, and we are pleased to partner with the Department of Defense on this trailblazing demonstration," said Dr. John Wagner, INL director. "We anticipate Pele will be among the first of a new generation of advanced experimental reactors hosted here before the end of the decade."
Project Pele is a whole-of-government effort, with critical expertise provided by the Department of Energy, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, NASA, and the National Nuclear Security Administration.
The Pele reactor will only be demonstrated within the United States under the safety oversight of DOE’s Idaho Operations Office. The reactor is expected to operate for a minimum of three years at the lab and will help demonstrate the use of clean, reliable, and transportable nuclear power to help meet the increasing energy demands at military bases across the country.
BWXT will also leverage its experience from Project Pele to advance its civil-focused BANR microreactor, which is being supported from DOE’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program. The work will help stand-up a domestic supply chain for high-temperature gas reactor components and services, and manufacture TRISO fuel at production quantities.
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