Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
The US Army said on Wednesday that it plans to add nuclear microreactors at five military bases, from New York to Texas, to provide a reliable source of power that can keep running even if the commercial electric grid fails. The Army said five selected companies can receive up to USD 2.2 billion in total over five years to own, build and operate the reactors if they meet performance milestones, and it expects more than 20 microreactors to be built and run.
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The move comes as the Trump administration pushes the next generation of nuclear power, including billions of dollars in loans for large reactors to meet rising demand from data centres and a pilot programme for advanced reactor designs for military and civilian use. No nuclear microreactors are supplying power to the commercial electric grid in the United States today.
Army and industry officials said microreactors can provide resilient power for critical infrastructure at military bases, and can run for years without refuelling. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said the awards will accelerate the military’s ability “to deliver safe, reliable baseload power directly to our installations. We are building the energy resilience necessary to project combat power globally, without relying on potentially vulnerable external grids,” he said.
The awards are part of the Army’s “Janus Program”, launched last year to deliver next-generation nuclear energy. Officials said they want to move advanced reactor designs beyond experiments and prototypes and into long-term use. This will be the “spear tip”, said Jeff Waksman, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy and environment. “That is the transition that we are trying to effect here,” he said. “These are not meant to be Army-specific designs.”
Critics of more nuclear reactors have said they are too expensive and riskier than other energy sources. Waksman said the reactors would shut down safely if there is a failure, that they are small, and that the Army would not place them at installations without being certain they are safe. He also said the Army is working on an agreement with the Energy Department to remove radioactive waste, and that there will be no long-term storage at these installations.
President Donald Trump signed executive orders in May 2025 to speed up nuclear power development, and the Army was tasked with ensuring that an advanced reactor starts operating at a domestic military installation by September 30, 2028. Waksman said the Army chose five companies because supplying nuclear power to a military base will be difficult and one or more projects may fail. The selected companies are Antares Nuclear at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, BWXT at Fort Campbell in Kentucky, General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems at Fort Hood in Texas, Radiant Industries at Fort Benning in Georgia, and Westinghouse Government Services at Fort Drum in New York.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer had asked the Army to select Fort Drum, saying the missions it supports require secure, reliable and resilient power generation. The reactors will be licensed by the Army rather than the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which licenses commercial nuclear reactors. Waksman said the Army is trying to align its regulatory process as much as possible so that companies do not need major design changes later to get licensed by the NRC. Alongside federal funding, the Army expects billions of dollars in private capital investment.
The military bases will stay connected to the grid, and the reactors will not supply all their power. Each reactor is expected to provide between 1 megawatt and 20 megawatts, depending on the design, while large bases use as much power as a small city. Waksman said Antares and Radiant plan to deliver their reactors in three-packs. He said the Army now uses diesel as the main backup for critical infrastructure, but in a conflict it may not be able to move fossil fuels easily to where they are needed. “That makes nuclear energy just a natural game changer,” he said. “It makes sense for the Army to take the lead here.” According to the US Army Corps of Engineers, a reactor at Fort Belvoir in Virginia, completed in 1957, was the first nuclear power reactor to provide electricity to a commercial power grid in the United States for an extended period.
The companies said the Army’s move would help speed up nuclear development in the US. California-based Antares said the announcement adds to its momentum after it reached a key milestone under the US pilot programme that could allow it to produce electricity within a few years. Westinghouse Government Services said it was proud to support the Army’s efforts to strengthen energy security and innovation. Tori Shivanandan, president and chief operating officer of California-based Radiant, said the Army’s USD 750 million award “shows confidence in Radiant’s product and ability to manufacture, deploy and safely operate nuclear microreactors for the American military”. She said the Janus programme “will build a stronger and more resilient America”. General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems said its reactor is designed to operate in remote, off-grid and extreme environments for 40 years, and that it will draw on more than 70 years of nuclear experience to provide safe, dependable and independent power for the military. BWXT president and chief executive officer Rex Geveden said, “As we commence work on the Janus program, we are delivering the nation’s most credible and reliable path to deployable nuclear power.”
In all, the Army’s plan combines a push for energy resilience at military installations with a wider effort to move advanced nuclear technology from the testing stage to regular use, while keeping the bases connected to the grid and relying on private and public investment to take the projects forward.
With PTI Inputs
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
