Air Force selects three microreactor developers for ANPI

The Department of the Air Force has selected three companies to be potential developers and operators of microreactors at Air Force installations as part of the Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations (ANPI) program: Radiant Industries, Antares Nuclear, and Westinghouse Government Services.

The ANPI program is a collaboration among the Air Force, Army, and Defense Innovation Unit that has a demo target date of 2030 for at least one 3 MWe-10 MWe microreactor on at least one military installation.

The partnerships: According to the Department of the Air Force, each company was paired with a particular installation in order to maximize energy resilience and align mission requirements with site-specific characteristics.

Radiant Industries was chosen to develop a microreactor tailored to the needs of Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado. Antares Nuclear was picked to build a microreactor for Joint Base San Antonio in Texas. Westinghouse Government Services, part of Westinghouse Electric Company, was selected for the microreactor project at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana.

With the companies matched to the three military sites, two of which were announced as potential locations for microreactors earlier in April, formal siting and environmental analyses can now proceed. Those analyses will follow processes required by the National Environmental Policy Act.

Michael Borders, assistant secretary of the Air Force for energy, installations and environment, said that the "future of air and space dominance is powered by resilient energy. By integrating advanced nuclear technology, we are not just keeping the lights on; we are guaranteeing that our most critical national security missions will never be held at risk by a power outage. This is a pivotal moment for the Department of the Air Force."

Radiant and Buckley: Radiant Industries is in the process of developing the Kaleidos high-temperature, gas-cooled microreactor. According to Chief Revenue Officer Mike Starrett, "The American energy industry needs to make progress now, not in 5 or 10 years. With a full-power reactor already under assembly, Radiant will deliver."

Col. Eamon Murray, the Space Base Delta 2 commander at Buckley Space Force Base, Radiant's designated partner, said, "A secure and reliable power source will enable Buckley's warfighters from all six services and allied nations to support the Joint Force in all situations, and we are proud to lead the charge to advance our warfighters' technological superiority. The success of this endeavor depends on strong community trust we've built through proactive engagement and communication, and we're excited to continue that engagement and transparency throughout this process."

Antares and Joint Base San Antonio: Antares Nuclear is currently developing its R1 sodium heat pipe-cooled microreactor. CEO Jordan Bramble said Antares is "grateful and proud to partner with Joint Base San Antonio, the Department of the Air Force, and the Defense Innovation Unit. We built this company to deliver resilient power for missions like this."

Brig. Gen. Randy Oakland, commander of the Joint Base and of the 502d Air Base Wing, said that energy resilience "is imperative to sustaining operations. If selected as a site under this initiative, Joint Base San Antonio's resilience would take a tangible step forward to ensure reliable support for its many important missions."

Nuclear News reached out to Westinghouse for comment but has not yet received a response.

Other military microreactors: In addition to the ANPI program, the Air Force is planning to demonstrate the feasibility and operational benefits of a microreactor at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska. Furthermore, the Army's Janus Program has the goal of deploying a demonstration microreactor at a military installation by 2030.