WASHINGTON — Redstone Arsenal is among nine installations chosen by the Army as part of its Janus Program.
The Department of the Army is considering the installations to site microreactor power plants, and the Defense Innovation Unit released an Area of Interest to solicit commercial solutions for advanced nuclear power technologies, according to an Army news release.
The Janus Program, the Army’s next-generation nuclear power program, aims to deliver secure, resilient, and reliable energy to support national defense installations and critical missions, the Army said.
In partnership with the DIU, the program will build commercial microreactors through a milestone-based contracting model to accelerate delivery of advanced energy solutions to the warfighters.
“We’ve established a great partnership with the U.S. Army,” said DIU Energy Portfolio Director Dr. Andrew Higier. “DIU is ready and excited to leverage our rapid CSO process to execute the Janus Program in collaboration with our government and industry partners.
“This collaboration will deliver advanced nuclear energy to Army installations, ensuring their most critical missions always have resilient and ready power.”
The Army said the sites were identified through comprehensive analysis and on-site assessment to identify optimal locations for initial deployment.
The process evaluated mission critical installations, energy requirements and resiliency gaps, power infrastructure, environmental and technical considerations.
These sites mark the first step in expanding national energy resilience through next-generation nuclear technology.
Joining Redstone Arsenal as selected sites are (alphabetically):
- Fort Benning
- Fort Bragg
- Fort Campbell
- Fort Drum
- Fort Hood
- Fort Wainwright
- Holston Army Ammunition Plant
- Joint Base Lewis-McChord
While the final number and location for these microreactors on Army installations will be determined as part of the acquisition process, the Army said it is committed to maximizing the number of sites based on technical feasibility, site suitability, and available resources.
“These early site selections align with the Department of War’s goal of accelerating the pace of deploying on-site nuclear generation at our installations,” said Jordan Gillis, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment. “Through the use of the Army’s unique nuclear regulatory authorities, we are deploying a resilient, secure, and reliable energy supply for critical defense operations and in support of the most lethal land-based fighting force in the world.”
Microreactor power plants represent a significant technological advancement, in safety, security and waste management, the Army said. They are safe by design, not by intervention protocols. The Janus Program is leveraging the Department of Energy and its network of National Labs to ensure the appropriate expertise is applied to the evaluation of proposed designs, operational plans, and emergency preparedness plans.
The Army said the rollout of Janus technology will occur in stages in a “learn-as-you-go” process for “safe, efficient implementation.”
“The Janus Program is taking its first step toward pairing specific nuclear reactor designs to specific U.S. Army installations,” said Dr. Jeff Waksman, principal deputy assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment. “We will move to bending metal as quickly as possible, leveraging the enormous amount of technical talent gathered to execute this program.”
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