FORT CAMPBELL, KY – The U.S. Army announced on Aug. 27 that Fort Campbell has been selected as one of five military installations chosen to host an advanced, next-generation microreactor power plant under the Army’s Janus Program, which is a $2.2 billion investment overall. This project is in close partnership with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), with the goal of securing uninterrupted, resilient power for critical defense missions.
Fort Campbell will be working with BWX Technologies, Inc. (BWXT) to deploy a smaller, single 20-megawatt version of its BWXT Advanced Nuclear Reactor (BANR) technology. Detailed site-characterization, licensing, and design phases will begin immediately, with groundbreaking projected for late 2028 and reactor operations expected to commence in the early 2030s.
The exact location of the site has not been shared at this time.
Footprint of the microreactor, transparency
A news release from Fort Campbell says the microreactor will occupy a footprint of less than five acres, entirely on post. Operating “behind the meter,” the facility will be dedicated exclusively to powering mission-essential operations on Fort Campbell. This allows the installation’s national security assets to function completely independently from the commercial power grid during severe weather events, cyber disruptions, or regional blackouts…