Project Details
Developer
Location
Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho, USA
Capacity
1.5 MW-electric
COD
Expected COD: 2028
About This Project
Executive Overview
Project Pele is a 1.5 MW transportable nuclear microreactor under construction by BWX Technologies (BWXT) for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), managed by the DoD's Strategic Capabilities Office. The reactor core is being fabricated at BWXT's facility in Lynchburg, Virginia, with TRISO fuel and reactor components scheduled for shipment to Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in 2026 for assembly and demonstration. An Executive Order requires the reactor to be operational at a domestic military base no later than 30 September 2028. The project represents the first generation IV high-temperature gas reactor to be built in the United States and the first mobile nuclear microreactor developed for defence applications.
How It Works & Differentiation
The Pele reactor is a high-temperature gas-cooled design fuelled by high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) TRISO particles — a fuel form in which each uranium kernel is encased in multiple ceramic and carbon layers capable of withstanding extreme heat with very low environmental risk. The complete system, including associated power conversion and control modules, fits within four 20-foot shipping containers, enabling transport by road, rail, sea, or air. The reactor is designed to operate for up to three years without refuelling, providing resilient, off-grid power at 1.5 MWe. The power conversion module is being developed by Rolls-Royce at its LibertyWorks facility in Indianapolis, the control module by Northrop Grumman, with Torch Technologies also involved as a contractor.
Commercialization & Traction
BWXT was awarded the prototype construction contract by the DoD's Strategic Capabilities Office in 2022, following a two-year design competition launched in 2020. TRISO fuel fabrication has been completed and the reactor core is in active fabrication, representing the most advanced construction milestone yet reached for a U.S. mobile microreactor. The DoD is the sole customer for the demonstration unit, with the primary use case being resilient power for forward-deployed military bases that currently depend on diesel fuel logistics chains. The project is being conducted as a single prototype demonstration only within the United States.
Scalability & Strategic Context
Project Pele's primary near-term objective is military energy resilience, but the DoD has explicitly identified disaster response, remote community power, and commercial off-grid applications as potential downstream use cases if the demonstration succeeds. The high-temperature gas reactor design and TRISO fuel platform are shared with X-energy's commercial Xe-100 programme, meaning operational data from Pele will have direct relevance to the broader advanced nuclear industry. Successful demonstration at INL would provide the first domestic operational proof point for a generation IV high-temperature gas reactor, with implications for both defence procurement and the commercial microreactor market developing in parallel.
Project Timeline
DoD to Build Project Pele Mobile Microreactor and Perform Demonstration at Idaho National Laboratory
Further Reading
BWXT starts building Pele microreactor core
BWX Technologies has begun fabricating the core for the 1.5-MW Project Pele transportable microreactor, which is being developed for the U.S. Department of Defense to provide resilient, mobile, carbon-free power for military operations and could be operational by 2028.
Work Begins To Fabricate Reactor Core For US Defence Department’s Pele Microreactor
Work has begun on fabricating the reactor core for the US Department of Defense’s Pele microreactor, a 1.5-MW gas-cooled demonstration unit designed for transportable, resilient power, expected to start producing electricity in 2028.
Work starts on Pele microreactor core
Fabrication has begun on the reactor core for the Project Pele prototype mobile microreactor, the first of its kind to be built and operated in the USA, with the goal of providing a reliable, transportable nuclear energy source for multiple applications by 2028.
DoD to Build Project Pele Mobile Microreactor and Perform Demonstration at Idaho National Laboratory
The Department of Defense announced it will build and demonstrate Project Pele, a mobile, inherently safe nuclear microreactor capable of delivering 1-5 megawatts of power, at Idaho National Laboratory to support energy resilience and carbon reduction for military and potential commercial use.