Defense Department outlines progression of Project Pele initiative

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) announce plans to build a safe-by-design nuclear microreactor through the Project Pele initiative.

“Thanks to the tireless work of the contract teams, the valuable input from local stakeholders, and the talented and experienced NEPA
(National Environmental Policy Act) technical support teams at the Department of Energy and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, we are confident that an inherently safe by design mobile microreactor can be constructed and demonstrated safely at Idaho National Laboratory,” Project Pele Program Manager Jeff Waksman said. Project Pele program manager.

The reactor would be assembled and operated at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), serving as the first domestically built electricity-generating Generation IV nuclear reactor.

“Advanced nuclear power has the potential to be a strategic game-changer for the United States, both for the DoD and for the commercial sector,” Waksman said. “For it to be adopted, it must first be successfully demonstrated under real-world operating conditions.”

The scope of work involves the Pele reactor being a single prototype, demonstrated within the United States under the Department of Energy’s oversight. Additionally, DoD’s decision regarding whether to transition the technology and use it operationally will be made at a future date.

“The DoD has a long history of driving American innovation, with nuclear power being one of many prominent examples,” SCO Director Jay Dryer said. “Project Pele is an exciting opportunity to advance energy resilience and reduce carbon emissions while also helping to shape safety and nonproliferation standards for advanced reactors around the world.”