Federal officials have chosen a contractor to install and operate a small, self-contained nuclear power plant at Eielson Air Force Base. The contract must clear regulatory hurdles first, but if all goes according to plan, the microreactor will be put into operation within five years.
Ravi Chaudhary is the Assistant Air Force Secretary. He announced the selection of a Silicon Valley company as the contractor for the Eielson microreactor at a Thursday meeting in Schaible Auditorium at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks. He said, “I am super proud to announce the notice of intent toward selection of our first microreactor technology to Oklo Incorporated.”
The announcement marked a milestone in a process that began three years ago. The Air Force first announced its intention to site a microreactor at Eielson in 2021. The contract will not be awarded until the process is complete and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issues a license.
John Hanson is the Oklo special projects senior director. He said that his company is ready to go. Hanson went on to say, “We’re extremely excited to be here. We’re honored to be selected for this project, and really excited to get started.”
Colonel Paul Townsend is the Eielson 354th Fighter Wing commander. He said that “Team Eielson is happy to partnership with these individuals to move this forward. It’s an exciting time.” He said that the microreactor will help the 354th accomplish its mission which is to fly and maintain advanced F-35 jet fighters. He added that the technology that has led to the development of the small, self-contained reactor serves as an example of the kind of innovation that the Air Force Chief of Staff General Charles Brown says is critical to maintaining military superiority in the 21st century. Townsend said, “General Brown tells us ‘Accelerate, change or lose,’ and we’re definitely leaning forward to help accelerate change and bring a tremendous capability to the state of Alaska.”
Chaudhary stressed that the microreactor’s ability to supply reliable energy without emitting carbon dioxide. He is the assistant Air Force secretary who oversees energy, installations and environment issues for the service. He said that Eielson was chosen for the pilot project partly because of its strategic location in Alaska. Two squadrons of F-35s can quickly fly to trouble spots in the Indo-Pacific region and elsewhere. He added that “You have an energy source — local, within the installation — that allows you to get those two critical fighter squadrons in the air and executing their business, executing their mission.”
Chaudhary says that the five megawatt microreactor would provide energy resilience in the form of backup power for the base’s coal-fired heat and power plant that has been in operation for seventy two years. Currently, Eielson also buys electricity from Golden Valley Electric Association. The microreactor would permit the base to disconnect from the grid if the utility experienced a cyber-attack. He said, “So having redundant systems is critical to that mission.”
In addition to providing backup power, Chaudhary said that it will also allow the Defense Department to learn how such a system could be used at other installations. Eielson is the first U.S. military installation to acquire a commercialized and licensed microreactor. The microreactor pilot project was mandated in the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act. He also said that it will benefit the state of Alaska. Chaudhary said, “This will the first state that can actually hold a license. that’s no small task, to hold a state and federal license for the execution and operation of a microreactor.”
However, before the microreactor actually goes online, Oklo must finish the microreactor licensing process. Stephen Philpott is the NRC Safety and Licensing Project Manager. He said that it is unlikely that licensing will be done before the end of 2026. Oklo could begin testing the microreactor the following year and the system could begin operating in 2028.