The Department of Defense announced Tuesday that it broke ground on the Project Pele transportable nuclear reactor at the Idaho National Laboratory.

BWXT Advanced Technologies is manufacturing the reactor under a Strategic Capabilities Office initiative.

“We are thrilled to move beyond the era of PowerPoint advanced reactors,” said Dr. Jeff Waksman, Project Pele program manager. “Our tight partnership with INL and the Department of Energy Idaho Operations Office is leading the way forward not just for manufacturing advanced reactors but also for regulating them in an efficient and safe manner.”

Engineers are expected to start assembling the final reactor this February, and their current timeline includes transporting the fully assembled reactor from Virginia to Idaho in 2026.

Once it reaches the INL, the reactor will be transported to the test site and positioned within a not-yet-constructed concrete shield structure. There, it will be electrically tied to the INL’s specialized electric microgrid, and the first test will be conducted.

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“For 75 years, INL has been the home of nuclear innovation, and we are pleased to partner with the Department of Defense on this trailblazing demonstration,” said Wagner. “We anticipate Pele will be among the first of a new generation of advanced experimental reactors hosted here before the end of the decade.”

Once the reactor is operational, it will be the first fourth-generation nuclear reactor to generate electricity in the United States.