The US Air Force announced plans to award a contract for the construction of a small nuclear reactor at the Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, subject to the approval of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The contract was awarded to Oklo Inc., a California-based company specializing in nuclear energy. This pilot project is part of a mandate in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019 to have at least one licensed microreactor operational at a Department of Defense facility by 2027.
The Air Force’s microreactor pilot program aims to deploy a small reactor capable of producing up to 20 megawatts (MW) of electricity. By comparison, the smallest nuclear power plant in the United States has a generating capacity of 582 MW. Oklo Inc. will design, build, own and operate its Aurora model microreactor at Eielson Air Force Base.
The estimated construction cost of the microreactor is estimated at $60 million, with an additional cost of $3 million per year for operation and maintenance. However, the construction costs will be covered by the Air Force, while the electricity generated by the plant will be purchased at a competitive price.
Oklo Inc. must obtain a license. to operate the reactor, which was rejected by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission last year due to a lack of substantive information about safety and accident situations. The company is currently addressing these concerns and is working with the Air Force to determine the best steps to take to obtain a license.
The Aurora microreactor is equipped with built-in safety features that automatically adjust to prevent overheating. The success of this pilot project will determine the possibility of using microreactors in other Air Force installations. The Pentagon is also considering deploying a microreactor in Guam to supplement existing energy sources and to improve resiliency after a devastating hurricane left many residents without power for several hours. day.
