The announcement came at a panel at Association of the United States Army (AUSA) event. Army leaders were joined by the U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright to unveil this milestone initiative. Secretary of the Army the Honorable Dan Driscoll announced the launch of The Janus Program on October 14.

Executive Order 14299, “Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security,” directs the Department of War to commence operation of an Army-regulated nuclear reactor at a domestic military installation no later than September 30, 2028. 

This new, accelerated programme will adopt a milestone-based contracting model in partnership with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to ensure quick progress. The reactors are intended to be commercially owned and commercially-operated, and the US Army and DIU will model this contracting mechanism off of NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program.

The US Army will be responsible for technical oversight and assistance, including support to the full uranium fuel cycle and broader nuclear supply chain.

It was specified that JANUS will “build on lessons learned” through the earlier Project PELE, a DoD's Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) project launched years ago following the a 2016 study of the Defense Science Board (DSB) that warned that the Armed Forces’ need for energy in the future will only continue to grow, “likely outpacing improvements to energy efficiency and management”.

Under PELE, BWXT Advanced Technologies, LLC, based in Lynchburg, Virginia, is assembling a portable nuclear reactor which is due to be transported to the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in 2026.

PELE is a gas-cooled 1.5-megawatt demonstration microreactor meant to be transportable in just 4 20-foot shipping containers. A concrete shielding structure is being readied at the Idaho National Laboratory ahead of its arrival and operations, with the ground first broken in September 2024.

Piping and electrical wiring will then tie the reactor to INL's specialized electric microgrid, allowing the beginning of safe trials and of the necessary related reviews, with the aim of starting to generate electricity in 2028. The manufacture of the PELE reactor core began in back in July.

Pele will be powered by TRISO fuel, a specific design of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel that can withstand extreme heat and has very low environmental risks. This will enable it to work without refuelling for up to 3 years in the field.

The PELE fuel has already been manufactured by BWXT’s team. The fuel will be shipped to INL separately from the reactor and will be inserted once in place.

Project Pele is a whole-of-government effort, involving the Department of Energy, the National Nuclear Security Administration and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The contractor team, led by BWXT Advanced Technologies, also includes critical roles played by Northrop Grumman, Rolls Royce Liberty Works, and Torch Technologies. Specifically, Rolls-Royce is developing the power conversion module at its LibertyWorks facility in Indianapolis. The power conversion system is a critical component that enables the microreactor to reliably produce mission-assured electric power in remote or contested environments.  

Northrop Grumman is providing the control module for the reactor.

According to the US, PELE is currently the “only electricity-producing Generation IV nuclear reactor to begin construction anywhere in the world outside of China”. It is also almost certainly the only reactor effectively able to start operating by the intended 2028 deadline.

As for JANUS, Dr. Jeff Waksman, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment will “personally” oversee the project.

It must be noted however that the Department of the Air Force also has its own microreactor “pathfinder” project at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, where it hopes to installa microreactor to deliver 5 megawatts of electricity plus steam directly to the base’s essential operations, offering a resilient, off-grid power source in one of the nation’s most remote and demanding environments.Oklo, Inc. is the selected offeror and received a Notice of Intent to Award back in May. Contract award should follow in the future, with a potential 30 year horizon including removal and disposal at the end of the reactor’s life.

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