Briana Pace | Southern Indiana Business Report
The U.S. Department of Defense announced plans September 9 to install Indiana’s first advanced nuclear micro modular reactor (MMR) at Naval Weapons Station (NWS) Crane no later than September 2028.
By installing the MMR at NWS Crane, there will be “reliable, around-the-clock power independent of the commercial electric grid, capable of sustaining critical operations under the most demanding conditions,” according to a Department of Defense press release.
It also expands the U.S. power generation capacity as a whole, advances missions critical to national security and modernizes local communities’ energy infrastructure.
Most microreactors can produce up to 20 megawatts of energy according to the U.S. Department of Energy. They are completely built in a factory and shipped to a location; usually by truck, shipping vessel, airplane or railcar; reducing costs and reactor startup time.
President Trump’s Executive Orders, Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security and Reinvigorating the Nuclear Industrial Base, establish exceptions to “restore American nuclear leadership globally, remove barriers to innovation, and rebuild the domestic nuclear workforce.”
This project is a direct implementation of those mandates.
“Under President Trump’s bold leadership, the Department of War is rapidly fielding next-generation energy solutions for our warfighters,” Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering Emil Michael said. “We are unleashing the American nuclear industrial base to ensure our military installations possess the resilient infrastructure required to maintain uninterrupted operations.”
The MMR installation is a joint project between the Army’s Janus Program, the Department of the Navy, Department of War Innovation Unit and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Critical Technologies (OASW(CT)).
Indiana officials have played a role in preparing the state for a project like this. Earlier this year, Secretary of Energy and Natural Resources Suzzane Jaworowski announced the Indiana Advanced Nuclear Ready Community program, an initiative that helps communities embrace the idea of nuclear power plants in their area by working with local officials who are advocating for the infrastructure.
Senator Jim Banks and Todd Young, Gov. Mike Braun, Representative Eric Houchin and Representative Mark Messmer have also all supported the project, according to the Department of Defense. They helped clear “the path for the Department (of Defense) to move with speed to secure our national defense infrastructure.”
Senator Todd Young expressed his thoughts on the project in a statement after the announcement.
“Critical next-generation energy solutions for our warfighters will be located in Indiana, at Crane. This first-of-its-kind mission will bring the highest levels of nuclear expertise to our state and is another example of the important role Hoosiers are playing in our national security,” he said.
The Department of Defense says they will continue working with federal, state and local officials through the installation process, ensuring required safety, environmental and regulatory standards are met.