The US Department of Defense (DOD) has selected eight companies to be eligible to demonstrate the ability “to deliver compliant, safe, secure, and reliable nuclear power”. The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), with the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force in summer 2024 launched the Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations (ANPI) programme “to ensure US energy dominance”. The programme enables the design and build of fixed on-site microreactor nuclear power systems at select military installations “to support global operations across land, air, sea, space, and cyberspace”.

The eight companies are now eligible to receive Other Transaction (OT) awards to provide commercially available dual use microreactor technology at various DOD installations. The selected companies include:

  • Antares Nuclear
  • BWXT Advanced Technologies
  • General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems
  • Kairos Power
  • Oklo
  • Radiant Industries Incorporated
  • Westinghouse Government Services
  • X-Energy

“Projecting power abroad demands ensuring power at home and this programme aims to deliver that, ensuring that our defence leaders can remain focused on lethality,” said Dr Andrew Higier, Energy Portfolio Director at DIU. “Microreactors on installations are a critical first step in delivering energy dominance to the Force. Tapping into the commercial sector’s rapid advancements in this area is critical due to the significant private investment in this space over the last few years. The US and the DOD must maintain the advantage and leverage the best of breed nuclear technology for our national security.”

The ANPI project directly supports Executive Order (EO) 14156 (Declaring a National Energy Emergency) and EO 14154 (Unleashing American Energy) which “recognise that external energy dependencies create the potential for disruption and risk to mission from constrained grid energy systems, natural disasters, or physical and cyber-attacks to infrastructure”. The programme leverages DIU’s commercial solutions opening (CSO) process that results in the award of Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) to acquire commercial technology solutions, a unique process that emphasises speed, flexibility, and execution. It aligns with the goals of EO 14269 (Modernising Defense Acquisitions and Spurring Innovation in the Industrial Base) focused on streamlining acquisitions to accelerate defence procurement, “ensuring the Armed Forces have decisive advantages in the future”.

ANPI objectives include to:

  • Provide mission readiness through energy resilience;
  • Deploy nuclear power and demonstrate its capability “to provide safe, secure, reliable, and compliant electricity in support of installation readiness goals for mission critical assets and empower the warfighter”;
  • Field a decentralised scalable microreactor system capable of producing enough electrical power to meet 100% of all critical loads;
  • Utilise the civil regulatory pathways of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to stimulate commercial nuclear microreactor technology development and the associated supply chains in the US.

“US energy dominance and security are more critical than ever, especially in supporting Air Force and Space Force missions,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Infrastructure, Energy & Environment, Nancy Balkus. “To ensure our installations can respond at a moment’s notice, we must strengthen our lethality by accelerating the deployment of emerging technologies like advanced nuclear energy – delivering reliable, cost-effective, and secure power to our bases.”

The ANPI programme works to design, license, build, and operate one or more microreactor nuclear power plants on military installations.

“Advanced nuclear power represents a transformative opportunity to bolster Army installation resilience and strengthen national security in an increasingly uncertain world, ” said Daniel Klippstein, Senior Official Performing the Duties of Assistant Secretary of the Army, Installations, Energy & Environment. “Advanced microreactor designs are smaller, safer, and more efficient than their predecessors. The Army’s partnership with, and investment in, the domestic nuclear industry will reduce reliance on foreign energy supplies and ensure uninterrupted power for the Army’s defence mission.”

In addition to DIU, Army, Air Force, ANPI receives support from the Department of Energy; the NRC; Idaho National Laboratory with Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Los Alamos National Laboratory; Argonne National Laboratory; Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; Sandia National Laboratory; and the Office of Nuclear Energy.