Funding for two new microreactors could bring reliable nuclear power to remote locations. Westinghousesecured US $3 million for its eVinci microreactor, and Radiant Industries received $2 million for its Kaleidos microreactor, both in November from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
The funding will help the companies ready the technology for testing at the DOE’s Demonstration of Microreactor Experiments (DOME)—the first microreactor testbed in the United States. DOME is currently under construction at Idaho National Laboratory’s Materials and Fuels Complex in Blackfoot, Idaho, and is expected to be completed in 2026. The companies must conduct an analysis, called detailed engineering and experiment planning (DEEP), before running fueled experiments at the testbed.
The eVinci and Kaleidos microreactors both run on uranium-based TRISO particles, which the DOE calls the “most robust nuclear fuel on earth” because it cannot melt inside a high-temperature reactor. Each poppy seed-size particle of uranium, carbon, and oxygen is encased in protective carbon and ceramic layers engineered to withstand extreme temperatures.
The microreactors differ in their cooling mechanisms, with El Segundo, Calif.-based Radiant choosing a helium gas coolant, and Cranberry Township, Pa.-based Westinghouse using a passive heat pipe system.
The DOE chose the companies based on the merit of their proposals and the maturity of their reactor designs, says a DOE spokesperson. “It was a competitive process,” the spokesperson says. “Companies first had to have an approved safety design strategy and must have submitted a conceptual safety design report to be eligible for Phase II DEEP funding. Both companies were selected due to their successful completion of these milestones and their subsequent readiness to begin the DEEP process.”
What are nuclear microreactors?
As the name suggests, microreactors produce less power than conventional nuclear reactors do, generating 50 megawatts or less, compared with 1 gigawatt from full-size plants. A modular layout, reliable power supply, and simple installation make microreactors a potentially attractive source of energy for remote locations that lack traditional infrastructure. Unlike larger reactors, microreactors don’t require water-based cooling systems.
Like small modular reactors (SMRs), which deliver up to 300 MW, microreactors offer a smaller footprint, more automated operation, and less maintenance than full-scale plants. While SMRs are suitable for integration into large power grids, microreactors may be best suited for microgrids or off-grid rural sites, military bases, mining operations, or even future lunar installations.
Microreactors’ versatility is unmatched due to their portability, rapid deployment, and reliable zero-carbon energy output, says American Nuclear Society CEO Craig Piercy. “Microreactors offer significant advantages over diesel generators and batteries, which demand constant…
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The post “These Microreactors Could Bring Nuclear Power to Remote Areas” by Shannon Cuthrell was published on 01/09/2025 by spectrum.ieee.org