U.S. Navy soliciting ideas for nuclear energy

While lacking in specifics and pitched as a general information request, the RFI says installation reliance is a top priority for the DON to achieve full resilience and operational continuity.

“This is crucial to maintaining national security and readiness in the face of potential disruptions to commercial energy networks, whether from physical or cyberattacks, extreme weather, pandemic biothreats, or other emerging challenges,” according to the RFI. “We welcome input from developers, utilities, and consortia on innovative approaches that may include, but are not limited to, Shore Based Nuclear Technologies and other advanced technologies.”

The request is being made in support of the navy’s and marine corps’ goal to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Quotable: Rian Bahran, assistant director for nuclear technology and strategy in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, shared context on the information request Tuesday on his LinkedIn:

Nuclear reactors, including small modular reactors and microreactors, have the potential to provide defense installations with resilient energy for several years, even in the face of physical or cyberattacks, extreme weather, pandemics, biothreats, and other emerging challenges that could disrupt commercial energy networks.

This announcement builds on recent Department of Defense initiatives in this area, including an announcement earlier this year by the assistant secretary of the army for installations, energy, and environment regarding the release of an RFI to support a deployment program for advanced reactors to power multiple army sites across the United States. This effort is also complemented by other initiatives, such as the Department of the Air Force’s microreactor pathfinder project at Eielson AFB and the Office of the Secretary of Defense Strategic Capabilities Office Project Pele, a transportable microreactor prototype that recently broke ground at the Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory.

More details: The RFI lays out a focus on achieving four prioritized Navy installations and/or three Marine Corps installations, as well as additional deployment of contractor owned/operated power generation sites.

“Contractors who own or operate nuclear power sites on navy or USMC installations would be responsible for the possession, storage and management of nuclear and spent fuel, as well as complying with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing requirements,” the RFI states.

The RFI lists the following locations of interest:

• Virginia: Naval Air Station Oceana; Naval Support Activity South Potomac (includes Naval Support Facility Dahlgren, Va., and Naval Support Facility Indian Head, Md.); Naval Weapons Station Yorktown; Marine Corps Base Quantico
• Maryland: Naval Air Station Patuxent River
• North Carolina: Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point; Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune

Bigger picture: In June, the U.S. Army asked for proposals for microreactors to be commissioned at two of its military bases. The Defense Innovation Unit is managing the bid process on behalf of the army and set a goal of having the military base microreactors operational by 2030.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Air Force has been working for years to choose a site and deploy a microreactor—with an initial target of 2027 to have a unit operational at the preferred site: Alaska’s Eielson Air Force Base. That protracted process may be nearing an end.

The DOD is also developing Project Pele, a high-temperature, gas-cooled and TRISO-fueled microreactor that is transportable in shipping containers. The unit is to be tested at Idaho National Laboratory in 2025 and then deployed to provide power in remote military locations.

What’s next: Responses to the RFI are due November 7 and can be submitted to NAVFACHQ-RE@us.navy.mil.