DOD Exercises Option on Second Micro Nuclear Reactor Design

A micro-nuclear reactor can be made small and portable, is self-adjusting and would be able to be transported by land, sea or by air.

Department of Defense: As part of the Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO)  initiative Project Pele, the Department of Defense (DOD) has awarded a contract option to X-energy, LLC of Rockville, Maryland in order to develop an enhanced engineering design for a transportable micro nuclear reactor.

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In 2022, SCO selected BWX Technologies, Inc. of Lynchburg, Virginia to build a prototype micro reactor. This work is underway and long lead hardware fabrication has begun. By executing this contract option with X-energy, SCO seeks to develop a complementary micro reactor design that builds upon X-energy's developments completed under Project Pele in 2022.

This option continues funding for X-energy to develop its design to meet the technical requirements of Project Pele, targeting a reactor design that is ready for licensing by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for both commercial ventures and military resiliency.

"Due to their extraordinary energy density, nuclear reactors have the potential to serve multiple critical functions for meeting resiliency needs in contested logistical environments," said Dr. Jeff Waksman, Project Pele program manager.

"By developing two unique designs, we will provide the Services with a broad range of options as they consider potential uses of nuclear power for both Installation and Operational energy applications in the near future."

What is a Nuclear Microreactor? Project Plans, Documents, And Information: