1.5-MW plant expected to begin producing electricity in 2028
Work has commenced to fabricate the reactor core for the Pele demonstration microreactor being built for the US Department of Defense (DoD).
US-based BWX Technologies (BWXT) said the work had begun at its campus in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Pele is a 1.5-MW gas-cooled demonstration microreactor that is expected to begin producing electricity in 2028.
The reactor and its associated systems fit into four six-metre shipping containers, making it ideal to be delivered to forward military bases and other installations, providing resilient and reliable electricity for up to three years without refuelling.
Gas-cooled reactors offer several advantages over traditional water-cooled plants including higher thermal efficiency, the potential for process heat applications, and inherent safety features. They can achieve higher operating temperatures than water-cooled reactors, leading to greater efficiency in electricity generation.
Pele will be powered by Triso fuel, a specific design of high-assay low-enriched uranium (Haleu) fuel that can withstand extreme heat and has very low environmental risks. BWXT has completed fabricating the Triso nuclear fuel for the reactor and will ship it to Idaho National Laboratory 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.
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 DoD’s strategic capabilities office awarded BWXT the contract to build the prototype reactor in 2022.
BWXT said transportable microreactors deliver power where and when it is needed in a variety of austere conditions for not only the DoD, but also potential commercial applications for disaster response and recovery and power generation at remote locations.
