The Defense Department extended an existing contract with X-energy Reactor Company under the military’s Project Pele initiative to develop a transportable, cost-effective advanced nuclear microreactor prototype for use in remote military locations.
X-energy expects to advance the design of its prototype – which could ultimately be used for commercial or industrial use in civilian applications – through an award of an additional $17.49 million from a contract awarded last year, the company said in a statement.
The Pentagon’s Strategic Capabilities Office launched Project Pele in 2019 to develop a fourth-generation nuclear microreactor. X-energy, based in Rockville, Md., was one of two teams selected from a preliminary design competition to deliver a final design in 2022.
The other was BWX Technologies, of Lynchburg, Va., which makes the nuclear reactors that power all of the Navy’s submarines and aircraft carriers. BWX’s work under its $300 million contract is ongoing and long-lead hardware fabrication has begun, according to the Department of Defense.
By executing this contract option with X-energy, the Strategic Capabilities Office seeks to develop a complementary micro reactor design that builds upon X-energy’s developments completed under Project Pele, the Pentagon said.
Exercising the new contract option continues funding for X-energy to develop its design to meet the technical requirements of Project Pele, targeting a reactor design which is ready for licensing by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for both commercial ventures and military resiliency, the Defense Department said.
The contract covers one year of work by X-energy, but will not result in a completed engineering design, the Department of Defense said. It will “allow a thorough analysis of design options, leading to a Preliminary Engineering Design and initiation of a regulatory pre-application process,” the department said.
X-energy intends to initiate pre-licensing engagement with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, “to enable a broad range of deployment possibilities,” its statement said.
X-energy’s transportable microreactor is designed to generate in the range of three to five megawatts and is estimated to be cost-competitive with remote diesel power, the company said.
“We expect this next phase of work to include the refining of our design, prototype testing, and initiation of reviews with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to ensure our microreactor meets safety standards and can be licensed for civilian use in the U.S.,” said Harlan Bowers, X-energy president, who led the initial phase of the project.
The Defense Department uses around 30 Terawatt-hours of electricity per year and more than 10 million gallons of fuel per day — levels that are expected to increase as its vehicle fleets are electrified and future energy-intensive capabilities are fielded, the Pentagon said.
