A base in Interior Alaska has been chosen by the U.S. Air Force to receive its first nuclear microreactor.
Eielson Air Force Base was selected in a project that began in 2019, when a National Defense Authorization Act requirement to identify potential sites for development and operation of a microreactor by 2027 began, Fairbanks television station KTVF reported.
“This technology has the potential to provide true energy assurance, and the existing energy infrastructure and compatible climate at Eielson make for the perfect location to validate its feasibility,” Mark Correll, the deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for Environment, Safety and Infrastructure, said in a statement.
“(Microreactors) are a promising technology for ensuring energy resilience and reliability, and are particularly well-suited for powering and heating remote domestic military bases like Eielson,” Correll said.
The microreactor will be commercially owned and licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory commission, the television station reported.
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