Army to install micronuclear plants at US bases as backup power

Industry Discussions Nuclear Power
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https://apnews.com/article/nuclear-trump-army-microreactors-janus-200edd5fb98b6fe04d029a3c1dba1a4a

What do we know about these plants? Are they SMR? Approved for commercial use.

Data centers need power. Most will come from fossil fuels–natural gas or diesel–producing carbon dioxide. If micronuclear plants can be approved they might be the ideal solution. Or are these five years away? Not fast enough for data centers now under consideration.

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The five selected vendors and installations are as follows:

  • Antares Nuclear, Inc. – Fort Bragg, North Carolina
  • BWXT Advanced Technologies, LLC – Fort Campbell, Kentucky
  • General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems – Fort Hood, Texas
  • Radiant Industries, Inc. – Fort Benning, Georgia
  • Westinghouse Government Services – Fort Drum, New York

Below are the websites, with at least a little information about the designs.

Antares:

BWXT:

General Atomics:

Radiant Industries:

Westinghouse:

BTW, Westinghouse recently achieved criticality from its eVinci reactor. The Antares test reactor also achieved criticality earlier this summer. See earlier thread.

_ Pete

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These appear to be developmental. Westinghouse appears to be furtherest along w operating reactor targeted 2028. Does list data centers as possible customer. But focused on govt contracts, not commercial uses for now.

Great to hear these mini reactors are under development but probably years away from commercial applications.