The company says that the fourth-generation nuclear energy system can stay in operation for multiple decades.
ano Nuclear Energy has been awarded a Direct to Phase II (D2P2) innovation research contract by the US Air Force to explore the feasibility of deploying its Kronos micro modular nuclear reactor system at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling (JBAB) in Washington, D.C.
The contract has been awarded by the US AFWERX, which is the innovation and venture arm of the US Air Force.
The JBAB is a 1,018-acre military base located in southwest Washington between the Potomac and Anacostia rivers. The project will be undertaken in collaboration with the 11th Civil Engineering Squadron.
The contract is valued at approximately $1.25 million, and it aims to assess JBAB’s current and future energy demands, grid vulnerabilities, siting options, environmental considerations, and regulatory pathways for introducing a nuclear microreactor to the dense urban military installation.
The US Air Force contract
The contract is a big win for the Kronos nuclear microreactor program, as this enables it to gain an edge in supplying energy to the defense sector. The massive scope of the contract will also enable Nano Nuclear Energy to gain knowledge about the defense sector needs.
It will help the company gain insights that can be used in the decades ahead.
The US Air Force also benefits from the nuclear microreactor program, as it can help meet its energy resilience goals.
“Winning this D2P2 with AFWERX marks another milestone for NANO Nuclear and a validation of our belief that Kronos MMR Energy System as a leading microreactor program,” said James Walker, Chief Executive Officer of Nano Nuclear Energy.
“The Kronos MMR represents a transformative potential for energy assurance for the Department of the Air Force, combining a design for resilience, safety, and carbon-free generation in one modular microreactor platform.”
Jay Yu, Founder and Chairman of NANO Nuclear Energy, said the AFWERX award highlights the growing demand for next-generation nuclear solutions. He further stated that this contract underscores NANO Nuclear’s “emerging status as the leader in bringing microreactors to the defense ecosystem.”
Nano Nuclear Energy’s Kronos nuclear microreactor
Nano Nuclear Energy’s Kronos is a stationary, high-temperature gas-cooled nuclear microreactor which is designed to deliver 15 MW electric (45 MW thermal) of carbon-free power.
The company says that the fourth-generation nuclear energy system can stay in operation for multiple decades and be used across multiple industries and environments.
Nano Nuclear says that multiple units of the nuclear microreactor can be deployed side by side to achieve any desired power level.
Kronos runs using meltdown-resistant TRISO fuel, and passive helium cooling is used in the design to help it shut down and remain in a safe state automatically, without any human intervention or external power.
Moreover, it is being designed to withstand cyber and physical threats and enable continuous mission-critical operations.
The system also comes with molten salt thermal storage, which stores the heat from the reactor in tanks. Depending on need, the hot molten salt can be used to generate steam, which can power an electrical turbine.
While the system operates at constant power, the electricity and heat output are decided on based on needs.
The company says that a fuel core is rated at 20 years of full power at the lowest power rating. This eliminates the microreactor’s dependence on fuel convoys. If operation of the nuclear system is desired beyond 20 years, a cartridge replacement can be performed.
Related
