Army Begins Planning 22-MW BWXT Microreactor Project at Fort Campbell

BWX Technologies (BWXT) has begun work on a microreactor project for Fort Campbell, identified as the first U.S. Army installation slated to receive the company’s reactor under the Janus program. The proposed unit is designed to generate 22 megawatts of electricity and 75 megawatts of heat. BWXT Chief Executive Officer Rex Geveden described its potential scale for installation use: “You can run large military bases with that.” The project is at an early stage, with the final site, regulatory approach, fuel production, and other implementation details still being developed.

The Army’s broader Janus objective, as described by Geveden, is to install more than 20 microreactors of various sizes across five bases. The program is intended to give reactor developers a government customer and help build a commercial market for microreactors. The Fort Campbell effort therefore has significance beyond one installation: it may help establish practical requirements and execution approaches for military-base power projects. However, the available information does not identify a project cost, solicitation number, acquisition method, procurement contact, or finalized delivery and operations plan.

BWXT’s reactor is designed for factory construction and rail shipment, making transportation and installation planning important elements for industry participants to monitor. The company and its partners are still working out how the Fort Campbell system will be delivered and operated. Near-term work includes selecting a final site and planning regulatory approvals, while fuel production is also part of the initial phase. These unresolved items leave potential suppliers without a defined scope or timetable, but they point to likely capability areas for future requirements: nuclear licensing and regulatory support, fuel manufacturing, rail logistics, construction, and plant operations.

Fuel capacity may be a notable dependency as Janus advances. BWXT plans to manufacture the program’s TRISO fuel in Lynchburg, Virginia, using the production line it has used for Project Pele. Geveden said the line has produced about 200 kilograms per year and that BWXT could at least quadruple output through additional capacity and changes to the manufacturing process. BWXT also has potential reactor projects moving in parallel in Wyoming, Poland, and Canada, but those prospects are distinct from the Fort Campbell project, which is the specific Army site identified under Janus. For contractors, the immediate step is to track requirements as they mature rather than treat the effort as a released solicitation.

• Fort Campbell is the first Army site identified for a BWXT microreactor under the Janus program.
• The proposed reactor is rated at 22 megawatts electric and 75 megawatts thermal.
• The Army aims to install more than 20 microreactors of various sizes across five bases, according to BWXT CEO Rex Geveden.
• Initial project work includes selecting a final site, planning the regulatory process, and producing fuel.
• Project cost, delivery method, and plant operations remain under development; no solicitation number, procurement contact, or finalized acquisition path is provided.
• The reactor is designed for factory construction and rail shipment, creating potential planning needs for transportation, site integration, and construction capabilities.
• BWXT plans to produce TRISO fuel for Janus in Lynchburg, Virginia, on the line used for Project Pele.
• Geveden said the fuel line has produced about 200 kilograms annually and could at least quadruple output with added capacity and manufacturing changes.
• Companies with nuclear licensing, fuel production, rail logistics, construction, or plant-operations expertise can monitor the evolving project, but should not assume requirements or contract terms are finalized.
• BWXT cited potential projects in Wyoming, Poland, and Canada moving in parallel; these are prospective markets and not the Army’s identified Fort Campbell project.