A project to develop portable nuclear reactors to provide power to remote military bases began in earnest with the award of design contracts to Westinghouse, BWX and X-energy, the Office of the Secretary of Defense said in a press release on Monday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th March, 2020) A project to develop portable nuclear reactors to provide power to remote military bases began in earnest with the award of design contracts to Westinghouse, BWX and X-energy, the Office of the Secretary of Defense said in a press release on Monday.
"Project Pele involves the development of a safe, mobile and advanced nuclear microreactor to support a variety of Department of Defense missions, such as generating power for remote operating bases. After a two-year design-maturation period, one of the three companies may be selected to build and demonstrate a prototype," the release said.
The reactors would be small enough for rapid transport by road, rail, sea or air and feature technology allowing for quick set up and shut down, the release added.
Microreactors would significantly reduce the need for investments in costly power infrastructure. In civilian applications, they could be easily relocated to support disaster response work and provide temporary or long-term support to critical infrastructure like hospitals, as well as remote civilian locations where delivery of electricity and power is difficult, according to the release.
In addition, a safe, small, mobile nuclear reactor would enable units to carry a nearly endless clean power supply, enabling expansion and sustainment of operations for extended periods of time anywhere on the planet, the release said.
The three companies specialize in designing and manufacturing nuclear reactors, while supplying nuclear-related equipment and fuel to the military and public utilities.
