Welcome to this installment of The Intelligence Brief… this week, the U.S. Department of Defense revealed its new plans to construct a transportable nuclear reactor under its new Project Pele program. In our breakdown, we’ll be looking at 1) what the DoD announced about the new program and its focus for the years ahead, 2) how the first implementation of a Generation IV reactor could set a new precedent in nuclear power production, 3) other notable advanced nuclear reactor projects that are currently underway, and 4) what’s on the horizon for Project Pele as the ambitious new program gets underway.
Quote of the Week
Nuclear power is a young technology – there’s so much more to be discovered. That’s what makes it so exciting to me. Yes, there are problems, but innovative people are going to be able to come up with solutions and bring the technology to its full potential.
– Leslie Dewan
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Podcasts: In podcasts this week, on The Micah Hanks Program, Tim McMillan and I sit down with Salvatore Pais to discuss the controversial U.S. Navy patents he produced which appear to resemble UAPs and other sci-fi technologies. Elsewhere, on the latest installment of The Debrief Weekly Report, Kenna and Stephanie take a deep dive into strange behavior that has now been observed in eels, and the science of out-of-body experience. You can catch up on past episodes over on The Debrief’s Podcasts Page.
Video News: On the latest episode of Rebelliously Curious, Chrissy Newton is joined by Dr. Matthew Halsted, a professor at Eternity Bible College in California, to explore the complex intersection of faith, theology, and the unexplained. Be sure to check out other great content from The Debrief on our official YouTube Channel.
With that all behind us, it’s time to examine the Pentagon’s announcement this week that it intends to construct a portable nuclear reactor. This represents a potential game-changer for the DoD and its efforts.
The DoD Announces Efforts to Build a Transportable Nuclear Reactor
This week, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that it had officially begun construction on Project Pele, a pioneering transportable nuclear reactor.
The project, based out of Idaho National Laboratory (INL), marks a new milestone for the U.S.’s ambitions to advance its energy capabilities by producing novel power systems.
The announcement arrives amid several recent energy developments, including the development of the first new commercial nuclear reactors to be connected to the U.S. power grid in years and the ongoing development of advanced reactor demonstration projects by several government and commercial groups.
Project Pele: What We Know
Project Pele is poised to be the first Generation IV reactor to generate electricity in the U.S. It is being developed under the Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) initiative and managed by BWXT Advanced Technologies, LLC.
Based on information released by the DoD earlier this week, the project’s scope involves constructing a mobile nuclear power system that can be contained within four shipping containers. The unit is designed for reliable and clean carbon-free power production, even in otherwise inaccessible areas. Although the project was announced this week, the official assembly of the device will not begin until next year, with initial testing in 2026.
The ambitious project is an outgrowth of the DoD’s cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) and INL and aspires to set a new precedent in the development and regulation of advanced nuclear technologies.
“We are thrilled to move beyond the era of PowerPoint advanced reactors,” said Dr. Jeff Waksman, program manager for Project Pele, earlier this week, also noting that the initiative marks a departure from theoretical designs, moving into the realm of real-world application.
Transportable Nuclear Power
The most obvious advantage Project Pele puts forward is the promise of portable nuclear power. Once it is built, the reactor will be contained within a concrete shielding structure at its INL test site, after which it will be connected to the INL’s microgrid system to facilitate in-depth testing of its capabilities.
If all goes according to plan, Project Pele represents a potential game-changer for the Pentagon. It would enable the availability of carbon-neutral energy capabilities at virtually any location, powering the DoD’s most mission-critical efforts and operations.
SCO director Jay Dryer described Project Pele as a crucial initiative for advancing U.S. energy resilience, calling it “a key initiative for improving DoD energy resilience and will also play a crucial role in advancing nuclear power technology for civilian applications.”
Advanced Reactors and More on the Horizon
The announcement of Project Pele arrives amid several notable developments in nuclear power. These include the connection of Plant Vogtle Unit 3 to the U.S. electric grid, making it the second in more than two decades.
Currently, the (DOE) is also working to advance domestic production of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) to support additional advanced reactor projects, while companies like TerraPower and X-energy are working to develop advanced reactor demonstration projects within the commercial sector. Last year, it was announced that NuScale Power Corporation, a private company, awaited word on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) final ruling on its design of a small modular reactor (SMR).
Other efforts include New York’s Nine Mile Point Nuclear Generating Station, which will likely serve as the starting point for additional plans the DoE is pursuing to establish regional hydrogen hubs to promote nuclear-powered hydrogen production.
Going Forward
With input from the Department of Energy, the National Nuclear Security Administration, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, along with industry names such as Northrop Grumman, Rolls Royce Liberty Works, and Torch Technologies among its collaborators, Project Pele is very much a whole-government effort.
In a statement issued this week, INL Director Dr. John Wagner said that he and the project team expect Project Pele “will be among the first of a new generation of advanced experimental reactors hosted here before the end of the decade.”
The program’s success will not only set a new precedent for the DoD and its operations but also set the course for similar efforts involving the production, containment, and transport of clean energy systems in the coming decades.
That concludes this week’s installment of The Intelligence Brief. You can read past editions of The Intelligence Brief at our website, or if you found this installment online, don’t forget to subscribe and get future email editions from us here. Also, if you have a tip or other information you’d like to send along directly to me, you can email me at micah [@] thedebrief [dot] org, or Tweet at me @MicahHanks.
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