C. Reed
BWX Technologies, Inc., VA
In 2016 the Defense Science Board(DSB) identified energy as a critical enabler of future military operations. They found that many alternative energy sources do not appear able to keep pace with the growth of the Department of Defense’s(DoD) needs, concluding “the U.S. military could become the beneficiaries of reliable/abundant/continuous energy through the deployment of nuclear-energy.” Consequently, the DoD’s Strategic Capabilities Office(SCO) launched Project Pele which designs/builds/demonstrates a prototype transportable nuclear plant. The design provides reliable/resilient power while minimizing risk of nuclear proliferation/environmental damage/harm to nearby personnel/populations. Pele produces 1-5MWe, operates for at least three-years, and is powered by TRISO uranium-fuel, which is walk-away-safe, meaning it will shut itself down if operating conditions exceed design-parameters, ensuring safety. Pele is expected to offset more than one-million gallons of diesel-fuel annually. BWXT is contracted to build/test/ship Pele to Idaho National Lab(INL) by 2025 to perform operational testing. The prototype is vital to demonstrate desirability/viability to the Armed Forces. BWXT focused on ensuring that Pele is easy-to-use/safe/affordable/useful in real-world-applications. Once Pele is demonstrated, the Armed Forces will decide whether to pursue production. The last details of the design are being finalized, and initial pieces of long-lead materials/hardware have been ordered.