BWXT starts building Pele microreactor core

The reactor will be able to generate electricity for as long as three years without refueling, according to BWXT. Pele uses TRISO fuel, a type of HALEU fuel that is extremely resistant to meltdown or kinetic destruction. It could begin producing power as soon as 2028.

Military contract and EO: DOD-SCO awarded the contract to BWXT in 2022 to build the prototype microreactor after a DOD study identified a need for additional power resources for the military.

In addition, Executive Order 14299, signed by President Trump in May, directs the DOD to begin operation of a nuclear reactor—to be regulated by the U.S. Army—at a domestic military base or installation no later than September 30, 2028, a date that BWXT feels can be achieved.

Transportable: Pele is a gas-cooled microreactor that is designed to fit, along with its associated systems, into four 20-foot-long shipping containers. Because it is mobile, it can be delivered to military bases and other installations.

INL testing: BWXT plans to ship the TRISO fuel and the reactor components to Idaho National Laboratory in 2026. The lab will then complete the assembly of Pele and test it.

According to INL, the microreactor will be transported by truck to the test site and positioned within a concrete shield structure. Then, “piping and electrical wiring will tie the reactor to INL’s specialized electric microgrid. Once the reactor’s final safety review is completed, the Pele project team will then proceed with the initial Test and Evaluation plan.”

INL added that if testing is successful, “transportable nuclear power could meet the increasing demand for a resilient, carbon-free energy source capable of delivering reliable 24/7 power to mission-critical DOD operations in remote and austere environments.”

Project support: Other companies are involved in Project Pele include Rolls-Royce, which is developing the microreactor’s power conversion module, and Northrop Grumman, which is developing the control module. Torch Technologies is another contractor involved with Pele.