Name of the Project
Project Pele.

Location
Idaho, US.

Project Owner/s
The US Department of Defence (DoD), partnering with the US Department of Energy (DoE) and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Project Description
Pele is a 1.5 MW demonstration microreactor.

The project entails the development of small, mobile nuclear reactors as part of a two-step plan towards achieving nuclear power for US armed forces in-country and abroad.

The microreactor is gas-cooled and designed to be transportable. The reactor and its associated systems fit into four 6-m-long 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. 

Pele will be powered by TRISO fuel, a specific design of high-assay low-enriched uranium, or HALEU, fuel that can withstand extreme heat and has very low environmental risks. 

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Capital Expenditure
Not stated.

Planned Start/End Date
The technology is expected to produce electricity in 2028.

Latest Developments
BWX Technologies reported on July 24 that work has started on the fabrication of the reactor core for the Pele microreactor.

The company has completed fabricating the TRISO nuclear fuel for the reactor and will ship it to Idaho National Lab in the months ahead.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
BWXT Advanced Technologies, Westinghouse Government Services of Washington and X-energy (individual design work); BWXT Advanced Technologies and X-energy (final design for the prototype mobile microreactor); Rolls-Royce (power conversion module); and Northrop Grumman (control module for the reactor).

Contact Details for Project Information
DoD press operations, tel +1703697 5131.