US explores 1 MW nuclear batteries that fit inside 20-foot shipping containers

The US state of Utah has signed an deal with clean energy company Deployable Energy Limited to explore one megawatt (1 MW) nuclear reactors small enough to fit inside a standard 20-foot (6-meter) shipping container. The Houston-based firm signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Utah Office of Energy Development (OED) on Tuesday, August 18. They will now explore the feasibility of deploying Unity Nuclear Batteries across the state. Under the non-binding agreement, Deployable Energy Limited and Utah officials will cooperate and share information. The two sides will further explore potential opportunities for research, testing, demonstration, and commercial deployment of the technology. “Utah is demonstrating the kind of leadership that can make it a national hub for advanced nuclear energy,” Bobby Gallagher, Deployable Energy co-founder and CEO, said. The deal amid Utah’s growing push for advanced nuclear power. A compact nuclear reactor The Unity Nuclear Battery is a compact microreactor designed to be built inside a factory. The system could then be transported and installed wherever electricity is needed. Each battery can generate one megawatt electric (1 MWe), or 1 MW of electrical power, and fit inside a standard 20-foot shipping container. According to the firm, the Unity Nuclear Battery uses about 4.95 percent enriched uranium dioxide (UO2) fuel and helium coolant, along with established materials and manufacturing processes. In addition, its modular, which means that single reactor can be combined into arrays of hundreds of units, with five-year refueling cycles. The Deployable Energy team and Utah Governor Spencer Cox.Credit: Deployable Energy The system can be transported using conventional equipment and can use liquid or air cooling, while its thermal output can also provide process heat. Deployable Energy Limited is reportedly targeting a six-month lead time from 2030. It plans to mass-manufacture the microreactors in factories. Gallagher revealed that the batteries will arrive as plug-and-play units. This could simplify their installation and reduce their deployment times. The technology can support both conventional and remote sites, like areas where traditional energy infrastructure may be difficult or expensive to build. “The state isn’t simply working to attract new technologies and companies – it is building an ecosystem that brings together industry, government, communities and the workforce needed to turn innovation into real economic opportunity,” Gallagher continued. Targeting nuclear growth Deployable Energy stressed that the approach can be configured for applications ranging from megawatts to gigawatts. It can also use different heat-sink options depending on the location. That said, the MOU does not indicate that Unity reactors have been approved for construction in Utah. It provides a framework for the state and Deployable Energy to examine whether and how the technology could eventually be deployed. Utah officials view the partnership as another part of the state’s broader effort to increase energy production. “Utah is leading the nation in energy innovation, and our partnership with Deployable Energy is another step towards an abundant energy future that is reliable, secure and clean,” Emy Lesofski, director, energy advisor to the Governor and director of the Utah Office of Energy Development, stated in a press release. Meanwhile, Deployable Energy said that its microreactor technology has already reached criticality, which is the point at which a nuclear chain reaction becomes self-sustaining. The company has also received an Approval In Principle (AIP) with a maritime classification society. Get the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.Based in Skopje, North Macedonia. Her work has appeared in Daily Mail, Mirror, Daily Star, Yahoo, NationalWorld, Newsweek, Press Gazette and others. She covers stories on batteries, wind energy, sustainable shipping and new discoveries. When she's not chasing the next big science story, she's traveling, exploring new cultures, or enjoying good food with even better wine.