BWX Technologies (BWXT) said work has begun to fabricate the reactor core for the Pele microreactor at the BWXT Innovation Campus in Lynchburg, Virginia. Pele is a 1.5 MWe high-temperature gas-cooled demonstration microreactor for the Department of Defense (DOD) Strategic Capabilities Office. The technology is expected to begin producing electricity in 2028.
DOD broke ground on the Project Pele transportable microreactor at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in September 2024. The demonstration project is led by DOD’s Strategic Capabilities Office. According to DOD, the prototype reactor facility will be transported in 20-foot shipping containers and tested at the lab. The reactor will then be moved by truck for placement at the complex … to conduct safety reviews and initial planning and testing. It will operate for three years without refuelling.
Project Pele is a whole-of-government effort, with critical expertise provided by the Department of Energy (DOE), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), US Army Corps of Engineers USACE), NASA, and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The contractor team, led by BWXT, also includes critical roles played by Northrop Grumman, Rolls Royce Liberty Works, and Torch Technologies.
The reactor is expected to operate for a minimum of three years at INL 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.
“We are proud to develop and deliver the Pele microreactor for the benefit of our armed forces,” said Kate Kelly, President for BWXT Advanced Technologies. “This is a tremendous achievement for the BWXT team and for the advancement of groundbreaking nuclear energy technology as a reliable, resilient source of electricity and heat for multiple applications.”
Pele will be powered by TRISO (TRI-structural ISOtropic) high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel. BWXT has completed fabricating the TRISO nuclear fuel for the reactor and will ship it to INL in the months ahead. Rolls-Royce is developing the power conversion module at its LibertyWorks facility in Indianapolis. The power conversion system is a critical component that enables the microreactor to reliably produce mission-assured electric power in remote or contested environments.
“With decades of experience delivering compact, efficient, and mission-critical power systems, Rolls-Royce LibertyWorks is uniquely positioned to meet the demanding technical and operational requirements of this effort,” said John Shade, Rolls-Royce executive vice president of business development and future programmes. Northrop Grumman is providing the control module for the reactor.
Project Pele began in 2016 following a DOD study that identified a growing need for additional power resources for the military in the future. The SCO awarded BWXT the contract to build the prototype reactor in 2022.
President Donald Trump’s Executive Order Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security calls for a programme using advanced nuclear technology for both installation and operational energy. It directs DOD to commence operation of a nuclear reactor, regulated by the United States Army, at a domestic military base or installation no later than 30 September 2028.
