A small, portable nuclear reactor might be the U.S. military’s solution to address its growing demand for a carbon-free power source in remote and hostile environments.
The Pentagon already has a name for the search: Project Pele.
BWXT Advanced Technologies of Lynchburg, Va. and X-energy LLC of Greenbelt, Md. are competing to come up with a prototype for a transportable nuclear reactor for the Department of Defense’s Strategic Capabilities Office. One of the two companies may be selected to build a prototype after completion of the environmental analysis early next year, officials said.
The U.S. military uses about 30 terawatt-hours of electricity per year and consumes more than 10 million gallons of fuel every day, figures that are expected to increase due to the anticipated electrification of the Pentagon’s vehicle fleet.
“A safe, small transportable nuclear reactor would address this growing demand with a resilient, carbon-free energy source that does not add to the [Department of Defense’s] fuel needs, while supporting mission-critical operations in remote and austere environments,” Pentagon officials said Monday.
The prototype reactor would deliver one to five megawatts of electricity for at least three years of operation at full power. The design specs call for it to operate within three days of delivery and safely removed in about a week.
Project Pele could serve as a guide for commercial adoption of such technologies, officials said.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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