America is in danger, and it needs a hero. The danger is running out of electricity, and the hero could be MARVEL, the Microreactor Applications Research Validation and Evaluation project at Idaho National Laboratory.
The program seeks to pioneer “the development of a nuclear microreactor demonstration test bed. This project aims to advance the integration and application of microreactors in various industries, providing a unique opportunity for companies to learn from, collaborate, test novel capabilities, and enhance the technological maturity of microreactors. MARVEL features a sodium-potassium cooled microreactor designed to generate 85 kilowatts of power. MARVEL is intended to test microreactor applications, develop regulatory processes, and explore various electrical and nonelectric uses. It will be connected to INL’s first nuclear microgrid and is expected to be operational by late 2027.”
The planned MARVEL reactor is about the size of a normal sedan. It could be used to power a microgrid in your neighborhood, or a small datacenter node, or a charging station for electric vehicles somewhere along a desolate highway.
Adding redundancy and resilience to the grid is important as demand on it rises, and unreliable renewable power sources like wind and solar are added to the generation mix. Read more about America’s power needs here:
- Is America Poised for Next Gen Nuclear Power?
- The Push for Small Nuclear Reactors
- Could the Nuclear Renaissance Begin in Michigan?
- Amazon’s Nuclear Powered Data Center
- Is Nuclear Powered Tech the Future?
- Is a Wave of Nuclear Development About to Hit?
- Will AI Electricity Demand Resurrect Nuclear Power?
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