Rachael Smith

BWX Technologies announced Thursday that work has commenced to fabricate the reactor core for the Pele microreactor at its Innovation Campus in Lynchburg, a news release states.

Pele is a 1.5-megawatt demonstration microreactor for the U.S. Department of Defense Strategic Capabilities Office. The technology is expected to begin producing electricity in 2028.

The Pele microreactor is gas-cooled and designed to be transportable. The reactor and its associated systems fit into four 20-foot-long shipping containers, making it ideal to be delivered to forward military bases, and other installations, providing resilient and reliable electricity for up to three years without refueling, the release states.

“We are proud to develop and deliver the Pele microreactor for the benefit

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