DOE Funding Projects to Support Advanced Nuclear Plant Designs
The MEITNER projects will leverage design, new manufacturing processes, and technologies to lower costs and increase the competitiveness of nuclear power; these funded projects will support advanced reactor designs that achieve lower construction cost and autonomous operations while improving safety.
The U.S. Department of Energy announced up to $24 million in funding for 10 projects as part of a new Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) program called Modeling-Enhanced Innovations Trailblazing Nuclear Energy Reinvigoration, or MEITNER. MEITNER teams will identify and develop innovative technologies that enable designs for lower-cost and safer advanced nuclear reactors.
"Nuclear energy is an essential component of the U.S. energy mix, and by teaming up with the private sector to reduce costs and improve safety, we are keeping America ahead of the curve in advanced reactor design and technology," U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry said. "These next-generation ARPA‑E technologies help us maintain our competitive technological edge globally, while improving the resilience of the grid and helping provide reliable, baseload electricity to each and every American."
The MEITNER projects will leverage design, new manufacturing processes, and technologies to lower costs and increase the competitiveness of nuclear power; these funded projects will support advanced reactor designs that achieve lower construction cost and autonomous operations while improving safety. ARPA-E developed this funding opportunity in coordination with DOE's Office of Nuclear Energy, and MEITNER teams will have access to DOE modeling and simulation resources as they develop their concepts. Project teams will coordinate regularly with a DOE-supported resource team of experts from across the department and DOE's national laboratories.
A list of the funded projects is available here.