Penn State applies to build Westinghouse microreactor

Wednesday, 5 March 2025

Westinghouse and Penn State signed a memorandum of understanding in May 2022 to partner on research and development efforts focused on exploring and applying nuclear engineering and science innovations to societal needs. The research initiative at the university is called FRONTIER (Forging a Renaissance of Nuclear Through Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Research). They also began discussions about siting a Westinghouse eVinci microreactor at University Park.

The partners have now announced that Penn State submitted a letter of intent to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on 28 February, the first step in the application process to install an eVinci.

"Today, the university announced its intent to make Westinghouse's eVinci microreactor a research priority," said Andrew Read, senior vice president for research at Penn State. "We believe this technology has the potential to change how we think of and use nuclear energy. And with Pennsylvania's and Penn State's rich history in nuclear research, FRONTIER is the team to lead this endeavour."

Tonya Peeples, Harold and Inge Marcus Dean of Engineering at Penn State, added: "We hope to leverage our legacy and produce new research using this new nuclear technology. We intend to advance and develop the skilled workforce needed in all areas, including engineering, construction, AI, operations, project management, licensing, safety, security, supply chain and many more."

As part of the application process, Penn State will continue to engage with the NRC and determine possible locations for the facility.

"Penn State's new University Park research facility will further solidify Pennsylvania as one of the world's leading nuclear innovation hubs," said Jon Ball, president of eVinci Technologies at Westinghouse. "We look forward to bringing our advanced eVinci technology to the FRONTIER programme to find new ways of harnessing nuclear energy while providing students and researchers with unprecedented opportunities."

Westinghouse says the factory-built eVinci reactor - which has very few moving parts - works essentially as a battery, providing the versatility for power systems ranging from several kilowatts to 5 megawatts of electricity. It can also produce high temperature heat suitable for industrial applications, including alternative fuel production such as hydrogen, and has the flexibility to balance renewable output. In September last year, the company became the first of three microreactor developers supported by the US Department of Energy's National Reactor Innovation Center to submit a Preliminary Safety Design Report, a milestone towards testing at Idaho National Laboratory.